In late August 2025, when heavy rains and the overflowing Ravi River caused devastating floods across Dera Baba Nanak, District Gurdaspur, Punjab, hundreds of families were displaced, losing their homes, livelihoods, and access to essential services. Amid this humanitarian crisis, Sulabh International stepped forward to extend support to the affected communities — particularly women and adolescent girls, whose needs are often the most overlooked during disasters.
In collaboration with the Marigold International Educational Society (MIES), Sulabh International organized the distribution of sanitary pads to flood-affected women in Dera Baba Nanak and surrounding areas. This timely and compassionate intervention addressed a critical yet frequently neglected aspect of disaster response — menstrual hygiene management.
Natural disasters often disrupt access to basic necessities, including menstrual products, leaving women vulnerable to infections, discomfort, and emotional distress. By ensuring the timely availability of sanitary pads, Sulabh International and MIES helped restore a sense of comfort, safety, and dignity for women coping with the aftermath of floods.
The initiative was more than a relief effort — it was an act of empathy and solidarity that reaffirmed Sulabh’s enduring mission to connect sanitation, health, and human dignity. Through this compassionate outreach, Sulabh demonstrated that sanitation is not just about infrastructure, but about the well-being and empowerment of people, especially women, in times of vulnerability.
Even in crisis situations, Sulabh International continues to ensure that women’s hygiene needs are recognized as essential — not secondary — to relief and recovery. The effort in Dera Baba Nanak stands as a testament to how small, thoughtful actions can have profound impacts, reinforcing Sulabh’s belief that true sanitation is rooted in empathy, equity, and respect for every life.
