Pinkishe Foundation

Pinkishe Foundation PINKISHE Foundation is an NGO working on Menstrual Hygiene and other aspects of women empowerment. We are a large community of volunteer women.

PINKISHE is a self-help community of Indian Women. It is an NGO focusing on the development, well-being, pride and happiness of the Indian Women

We have been working on this for some time, and today we wanted to formally share it with our wider community.Pinkishe F...
26/06/2026

We have been working on this for some time, and today we wanted to formally share it with our wider community.

Pinkishe Foundation is implementing Project Prayatna in partnership with Amazon - a three-year menstrual health initiative designed to take awareness, access and support closer to girls and women in communities.

Over the full intervention, Project Prayatna aims to reach 4.5 lakh girls and women across Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Ghaziabad and Sahibabad.

Alongside this, the Prayatna menstrual hygiene education van is expected to reach around 90,000 additional community members, including women, girls, boys and men.

But Prayatna is not one intervention.

It brings together thousands of menstrual health education sessions, a mobile education van, 12,000 sq. ft. of wall murals, helpline support, educational videos, Prayatna pads, women-led community linkages, SHG-linked livelihood opportunities, a small-scale reusable cloth pad production unit, sanitary pad vending machines in schools, incinerators for menstrual waste disposal, and more.

One of the things we deeply value about Project Prayatna is Amazon's collaborative approach bringing different organisations and strengths together to address menstrual health in a more holistic way.

The idea is simple.

Menstrual health support should not remain limited to formal spaces. It should reach the places where girls and women live, study, work, gather, and ask questions.

A special note of gratitude to Manisha, Arunima and Ashish from Amazon's CSR team for trusting Pinkishe Foundation with this responsibility, and for encouraging a spirit of collaboration that makes Project Prayatna even stronger.

We are proud to be part of this effort.

Project Prayatna is a sincere attempt to take menstrual health education, access, infrastructure and support closer to those who need it most.

This picture is from one school in Dholpur. But for us, it represents something much bigger.Under Shakti Shala, with sup...
21/06/2026

This picture is from one school in Dholpur. But for us, it represents something much bigger.

Under Shakti Shala, with support from HDFC Bank under the Parivartan Small Grants Program, and with BharatCares anchoring this district journey, we have been able to put in place a school-based menstrual support system across 35 government schools in Dholpur, meant to serve 12,358 girls.

Shakti Shala is much more than putting a machine in a school. It is about building a district ecosystem.

That means sanitary pad vending machines and pad storage. It means one year of pad supplies. It means identifying schoolgirls who can support and encourage their peers. It means training teachers who help keep the system running inside the school. It means menstrual health education, monitoring dashboards, refill tracking, and support systems that help the model keep working month after month.

That is why this work feels meaningful to us.

Because girls do not benefit from one-time gestures. They benefit from dependable systems.

Dholpur is especially important for us because it is now our 6th Aspirational District in the larger Shakti Shala journey. And Shakti Shala itself is a multi-donor platform, where different districts are supported by different partners under one common model.

We are deeply thankful to HDFC Bank for supporting Dholpur, to BharatCares for anchoring this district effort, and to the district administration, especially Mr. Nivrutti Somnath Ahvad, IAS, for the openness and support that helped this move forward on the ground.

Our hope is simple: that many more partners will come forward and support more districts, so that Shakti Shala can help build menstruation-friendly school ecosystems across all 112 Aspirational Districts of India.

"Tumhe yahi kaam mila tha kya?" "Is this the only job you could find?"This is a question Anita, one of our menstrual edu...
18/06/2026

"Tumhe yahi kaam mila tha kya?"
"Is this the only job you could find?"

This is a question Anita, one of our menstrual educators in Delhi NCR, hears far too often.

In a city that calls itself modern and aware, working on menstruation still comes with hesitation... and judgment.

Every day, Anita steps out with sanitary pads in her bag and purpose in her heart, reaching girls and women, talking openly about periods.
She rarely responded to those comments. Just a quiet smile, and she kept going.

Because for her, this work was never "just a job."

It meant supporting her family.
It meant giving her children things they once had to go without.

And today, when she takes her family out on weekends, when she contributes equally to her household.

That same question doesn't sound the same anymore.

"Yahi kaam?"

Yes.

And it gives her not just livelihood but dignity, confidence, and the power to impact hundreds of lives.

Sometimes, the work people question the most... is the work that creates the deepest impact.

Maybe the real question is, why is talking about periods still seen as "lesser work" in a modern society?

Not every company has a CSR department.When we talk about CSR in India, we picture large companies with dedicated teams,...
17/06/2026

Not every company has a CSR department.

When we talk about CSR in India, we picture large companies with dedicated teams, consultants, dashboards, field visits & board notes thick enough to prop open a door. That world is real.

But there is another, much larger world. Companies where CSR sits with finance, HR, compliance or the founder's office. Often one overloaded person doing ten other jobs & quietly beginning to dread the word "impact." The budget is there. The intent is there. The machinery is not.

That is where responsible giving becomes hard.

Finding an NGO is not hard. Finding the right NGO is.

The opening of the SSE route may matter from this practical lens. Companies can now route part of their CSR through ZCZP instruments on the SSE.

As of now, only a notified share of a company's CSR can move through this route. On a budget of 20 lakh, that is roughly 2 lakh. The other 18 lakh still has to be deployed the usual way, with all the discovery & monitoring that goes with it.

So no, this is not a magic wand. It will not let you dissolve your CSR machinery & ride off into the sunset on a single instrument.

What it offers is narrower & still useful. For the slice that does go through it, the structure comes built in. An SSE issue is not one more PDF ageing quietly in an inbox. It arrives through a formal route with disclosures, utilisation expectations & reporting attached. There is also a compliance point worth noting. A subscriber to a ZCZP instrument is exempt from carrying out impact assessment of the project funded through it. Due diligence does not retire, but the paperwork loses some weight.

The Government has opened the door. The ecosystem now has to decide whether it wants to walk through it or stand near it discussing the architecture.

The question is not only whether SSE reduces the discovery & monitoring burden. Even at today's limit, is a structured channel for a slice of CSR worth using? And if it works, should that ceiling grow?

In Dholpur, one of the most important parts of this work is not the machine.It is the teacher standing next to it.During...
17/06/2026

In Dholpur, one of the most important parts of this work is not the machine.

It is the teacher standing next to it.

During our visit under Shakti Shala, supported by HDFC Bank under the Parivartan Small Grants Program and anchored by BharatCares, we spent time identifying and orienting nodal teachers in schools.

One of the strengths of Shakti Shala is that it does not stop at installing a machine. In every school, we identify and train a nodal teacher who helps keep the system running. In our programme, we call these teachers Saarthis.

A pad vending machine can be installed in one day.

But a support system is built only when someone in the school takes ownership.

That is where the Saarthi comes in.
She knows how the machine works.
She helps ensure it stays clean.
She keeps an eye on the stock.
She supports refilling.

Girls know whom to go to if they need help.
And if something goes wrong, she becomes the bridge between the school and us.

That is how continuity is built.

In our work, we have seen again and again that girls do better when support is not random, but dependable. Not just a machine in a corner, but a person in the school who understands the system and stands by it.

Sometimes, dignity begins with something very simple: knowing there is one trusted teacher in the school who will understand.

That is why training Saarthis is not a side activity for us.

It is at the heart of making the whole system work.

Receiving the Indian national flag from Major General Rakesh Nair, General Officer Commanding, 28 Infantry Division, was...
12/06/2026

Receiving the Indian national flag from Major General Rakesh Nair, General Officer Commanding, 28 Infantry Division, was a moment we will always remember with deep respect and gratitude.

The flag was handcrafted by the remarkable Flag Women of Kupwara, a women-led initiative supported by the Indian Army, where local women have turned every stitch of the Tiranga into a story of dignity, livelihood and quiet national pride.

For us, this honour carried much more than ceremonial meaning. It reflected national pride, women's empowerment, self-reliance and the understated strength of communities in border regions.

The initiative was led and coordinated with remarkable care by Colonel Namrata Rathore, VSM, Commanding Officer, 175 Engineer Regiment, Territorial Army. We are deeply grateful to her and the entire unit for their trust, support and meticulous arrangements.

Across 9 schools, an orphanage and madarsas in Kupwara, our team created safe spaces for girls to understand menstruation, hygiene, body changes and how to manage periods with confidence and dignity.

Along with awareness sessions, sanitary pad vending machines were installed so that girls can access pads with ease and dignity whenever they need them.

Many of us see the Indian Army mainly through the lens of borders and security. But in remote regions, one also sees another side of the Army: its steady welfare outreach, its work with local communities, and its efforts to bring education, dignity and opportunity closer to people.

For us at Pinkishe, this initiative was another reminder of a simple belief: no girl should feel ashamed, unsupported or held back because of her period.

Whether it is a metro city or a remote border district, every girl deserves awareness, access, dignity and the confidence to continue her education without fear or stigma.

Grateful for this honour. Grateful for the opportunity to serve.

Jai Hind 🇮🇳

Should every CSR-eligible company be required to route 10% of its CSR spend through the Social Stock Exchange?That quest...
09/06/2026

Should every CSR-eligible company be required to route 10% of its CSR spend through the Social Stock Exchange?

That question may sound early. It may even make some people uncomfortable.

But after the recent MCA notification enabling CSR through Zero Coupon Zero Principal instruments on the Social Stock Exchange, I think it is a question worth debating.

Right now, the route is optional. Companies can use it within the notified limit.

But imagine what could happen if, in the future, this 10% route becomes a mandatory part of CSR.

For years, the Social Stock Exchange has moved carefully. Only a limited number of NPOs have registered. Many explored the route but did not go all the way to listing because the process demands rigour, disclosures, documentation and readiness.

But the roadblocks are now reducing.
Minimum ticket size has come down.
CSR route has opened.
Schedule VII recognition is now there.
The ecosystem is slowly becoming easier to enter and more meaningful to use.

If even 10% of India's CSR money starts moving through SSE in a disciplined way, it can change the market.

More serious NGOs may become SSE-ready.
More credible projects may become visible.
Companies may get a cleaner discovery route.
Reporting and transparency may improve.
And India may start building a stronger social capital market.

But there is another side too.

Will smaller grassroots NGOs get left behind?
Will documentation-ready organisations get an unfair advantage?
Will corporates lose flexibility in supporting hyperlocal causes?
Will NGOs start spending more energy on becoming "funding-ready" than staying deeply field-focused?

These are not small concerns.
The debate must begin now.
If CSR through SSE remains only optional, adoption may stay slow.

So here is the real question:
Should SSE become a small but compulsory window in India's CSR architecture? Or should it remain completely voluntary?

Would love to hear views from CSR leaders, compliance professionals, NGO leaders, funders and SSE ecosystem participants.

There was something very heartwarming about this moment in Dholpur.We are so used to talking about sanitary pad vending ...
04/06/2026

There was something very heartwarming about this moment in Dholpur.

We are so used to talking about sanitary pad vending machines in terms of access, dignity, menstrual health, and distribution. All of that is true, of course.

But on the ground, sometimes the first reaction is much simpler.

Curiosity.
Amusement.
Smiles.

During our visit to Dholpur under Shakti Shala, supported by HDFC Bank under the Parivartan Small Grants Program and anchored by BharatCares®, I saw once again how in many hinterlands and underserved districts, menstruation is still not something openly spoken about.

So when a machine like this appears in a shared space, it immediately starts doing something beyond dispensing pads.

It starts a conversation.

People gather around it. They look at it with interest. Someone asks how it works. Someone smiles shyly. Someone else laughs a little. And slowly, something that was wrapped in silence becomes a little more normal.

That is the real beauty of such interventions.

Sometimes change does not enter with a speech.

Sometimes it enters with a machine that makes people smile first.

And that smile matters.

Because behind it is curiosity.
Behind curiosity is conversation.
And behind conversation is the beginning of comfort.

That is how taboos start loosening.

For us at Pinkishe Foundation, this is what makes the work meaningful. We are not just installing machines. We are helping create familiarity around a subject that has remained uncomfortable for far too long.

In places where menstruation is still spoken about in whispers, even one machine can quietly change the tone of a space.

Foundation Health Program

50 murals. One underpass. A conversation that was long overdue.On World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2026, Pinkishe Foundation ...
29/05/2026

50 murals. One underpass. A conversation that was long overdue.

On World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2026, Pinkishe Foundation unveiled 50 menstrual health awareness murals at the Millennium City Centre underpass in Gurugram - right opposite the Taj Hotel, in one of the most visible public spaces in the city.

This initiative is part of Project Prayatna - a community-focused menstrual hygiene programme by Amazon India, supporting underserved communities around its operations sites across Delhi-NCR.

For us, this moment was deeply humbling.

Menstruation is still spoken about in whispers - in schools, homes, workplaces, and even cities. The silence isn't just a rural problem. It exists everywhere.

These 50 murals say, openly and publicly: this is normal. And it's time we treated it that way.

The initiative was inaugurated by IRS Amanpreet Passi, who beautifully said that such conversations must reach every corner of the country. We couldn't agree more.

From what we understand, this may be among the first initiatives of its kind in Delhi NCR and possibly in India - where menstrual health has been brought into a prominent public space through this many awareness murals at one location.

Gurugram is only the beginning. Delhi is next on our list.

We are deeply grateful to Amazon India for their support through Project Prayatna, and to every partner, supporter, and well-wisher who stood with us and helped make this possible.

We hope that every person who walks through that underpass pauses, even for a moment and feels a little more comfortable with a conversation that should have been normal long ago.

If you could put one message about menstrual health on a public wall in your city, what would it say?

Some journeys need more than support.They need the right people to know about them.Pinkishe Foundation has created an in...
27/05/2026

Some journeys need more than support.

They need the right people to know about them.

Pinkishe Foundation has created an information page for its proposed ZCZP issue on the NSE Social Stock Exchange, focused on building a school-based menstrual health system across 100 government schools in Sarangarh, Chhattisgarh.

This is not only about providing pads.

It is about access, awareness, safe disposal, school-level support, community outreach and monitoring, so that girls are not left to manage menstruation silently.

You can view the page, link in bio.

If you know someone in a foundation, family office, CSR leadership, philanthropy advisory, HNI network or institutional giving space, please connect us.

Even one right introduction can help this reach the right desk.

Address

Hall No. 1, Property No. B5, Gali No. 13, Madhu Vihar, I. P. Extension, Patparganj, Delhi-110092
Ghaziabad
201010

Telephone

+919818004713

Website

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