THRISSUR:
Going ahead with its drive to promote personal hygiene among teenagers, Kerala Feeds Limited (KFL) conducted the second chapter of its ‘Surakshith’ programme today with Revenue Minister Adv. K. Rajan distributing menstrual cups (M-Cups) to girl students of schools across Ollur legislative assembly limits of the district.
“There was a time, not till long ago, when our society treated menstruation as an obscene term. Not any more,” the Minister said at the function in Peechi, 20 km east of the city.
Societal taboos associated with monthly periods had for centuries restricted the rise of women, Adv Rajan noted. “That era is over. Today there is better awareness among people on menstrual cycles and the need to discuss the subject,” he pointed out, adding that such a positive attitude has facilitated better chances for women to emerge successful in all walks of life.
The Minister lauded state-owned KFL for its pro-women initiative which enables M-cup access to 15,000 students of the 13-17 age-group in government schools across the state. Students of classes 8 to 12 will be the beneficiaries of the PSU’s four-and-a-half-month-old ‘Surakshith’ being carried out as part of its CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiatives for 2021-22, in collaboration with the central public-sector HLL Lifecare Limited.
At today’s function, presided over by Ollukkara Block Panchayat President K.R. Ravi at Government Higher Secondary School, the minister distributed M-cups to representatives of six schools in Peechi, Pattikad, Kattilapoovam, Ancheri, Puthur and Ollur. This will benefit 1,500 students.
KFL Chairperson K. Sreekumar, in his keynote address, said the PSU propels the state’s dairy sector by ensuring better productivity of milk. “We are among the few state-owned firms that are running on profit. We are proud to be spending our CSR funds on initiatives for the benefit of girl students by helping them address anxieties related to monthly periods,” he added.
KFL Managing Director Dr B Sreekumar, in his presentation, lauded femalehood as the basis of life on earth. “Our Surakshith programme is of educational value to girl students, answering their issues around puberty and later,” he added, thanking Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Smt J. Chinchurani for leading the Rs 10-crore project that was launched at Kollam on March 31.
K.R. Ravi, in his presidential address, spoke of the relation between solid waste management and use of pads and diapers.
The function was attended, among others, by District Panchayat member K.V. Saju, Block Panchayat Member K.K. Ramesh, Pananchery Village Panchayat President P.P. Raveendran and Vice-President Savithri Sadanandan and panchayat members Anitha K.V. and Babu Thomas, besides Peechi Government HSS President Gireesan A., Head Mistress Daisy K.M. and PTA President Mubeena Naseer.
The 1995-founded KFL, which is based in Kallettumkara near here, manufactures a range of products that cater to different breeds of cows with the aim of keeping them in good health as well as better productivity and quality of milk.
