TFP Bureau, Korba, May 30, 2025: Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), a leading aluminium producer under Vedanta Aluminium, has positively impacted the lives of more than 85,000 individuals through its flagship community outreach, Project Nayi Kiran. Since its launch in 2019, the initiative has actively worked in 45 villages around Korba, Chhattisgarh, to dispel myths about menstruation, foster open dialogue, and encourage sustainable menstrual hygiene practices.
Project Nayi Kiran’s core mission is to tackle menstrual stigma systematically by educating communities on menstrual health and hygiene. The project organizes training sessions empowering women, adolescents, frontline workers, and self-help groups to become champions of change within their villages. Around 700 community members have been trained as Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Saathis, promoting awareness and sustainable practices such as sanitary pad-making and healthy conversations on puberty and adolescence.
As part of the initiative, 50% of government high schools and higher secondary schools in the area have been made MHM-friendly, conducting regular sessions to create safe, informed environments for adolescent girls.
Rajesh Kumar, CEO and Director of BALCO, said,
“The well-being of our communities is central to everything we do. Through health interventions, training, and support, we strive to foster dignity and empowerment. Awareness is the first step to change, and we’re committed to driving that transformation.”
Sharing her experience, Dipti Singh, a teacher and MHM Saathi, said, “Project Nayi Kiran has transformed menstrual health education in our school. It’s created a supportive space where girls feel informed and confident, breaking down barriers of stigma and silence.”
BALCO’s multi-faceted approach includes community discussions like ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ and ‘Ratri Chaupal,’ intergenerational dialogue sessions titled ‘Maa Beti – Saas Bahu Samelan,’ and the ‘Safe Space Campaign,’ designating clinics, shops, and schools as judgment-free zones. The company also runs an employee volunteer program ‘Supporting Green Periods,’ training women to make reusable cloth pads, and distributes educational tools tailored to differently-abled individuals.
In recognition of its impactful work, BALCO was awarded the prestigious ASSOCHAM Award 2024 for “Maximum Impact by CSR initiative in Menstrual Hygiene-Corporate & PSUs.”
About Project Nayi Kiran:
Launched in 2019, Project Nayi Kiran aims to demystify menstrual taboos, promote sustainable menstrual hygiene, and improve reproductive health awareness in Korba’s villages. With over 85,000 people sensitized and 700+ trained community MHM Saathis, the project has become a beacon of positive change in menstrual health education and practice.
