How RNisarg Foundation Is Using Sustainable Menstruation and Healthcare to Drive Climate Action (VIDEO)

What happens to the waste generated in my household?” is the question that kept Thane residents Dr Lata Ghanshamnani, Dr Leena Kelshikar and Veena Angadi awake at night. Their curiosity soon evolved into a deeper inquiry, leading them to spend countless hours understanding how different types of waste are disposed of. Their search for answers—and the need to create solutions where none existed—eventually led to the formation of the not-for-profit organisation, RNisarg Foundation.

The growing burden of health-related issues is closely linked to the mistreatment of nature and the environmental damage caused by human activities. Building on nearly a decade of work, our current mission is to leverage healthcare as a tool to address climate change by influencing mindsets and encouraging people to take meaningful action towards protecting the environment,” shares co-founder Dr Ghanshamnani. The founders believe that healthcare professionals have a responsibility that extends beyond treating patients, making the intersection of healthcare and climate action the foundation's core focus.

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Community-led initiatives lie at the heart of the NGO's work. Illustration: Erone Stuff/Unsplash

One of the questions that drove the founders' journey was what happens to the single-use sanitary pads discarded by women throughout their menstrual cycles. “Switching to menstrual cups led to addressing multiple issues simultaneously—period poverty, waste generation and the environmental impact associated with single-use disposable sanitary napkins,” explains Dr Ghanshamnani, an ophthalmologist with 25 years of experience. This insight led to the launch of the Sakhi programme, which leverages healthcare outreach to educate communities and encourage women to adopt sustainable menstrual products.

Under the initiative, ASHAworkers, community healthcare providers and nursing staff are first educated and encouraged to use menstrual cups themselves. Once they gain confidence through personal experience, they are trained as menstrual health educators. These educators then identify women in their communities, raise awareness about menstrual health and encourage them to transition to menstrual cups as a sustainable alternative. 

The foundation's Prarambh programme focuses on students of Class VII, training them to become waste marshals. Over a carefully designed nine-month curriculum with hands-on activities, students learn about different types of waste, waste segregation and waste reduction. “We are trying to build a nation where young people are empowered with the right knowledge, so that the challenge of educating them later does not arise. Once they learn, they educate their parents and become advocates for change in society. The transformation may not be immediate, but we are working towards a long-term solution through behavioural change,” she says.

Meghna Jaishankar, Lead-Alumni Impact, India Leaders for Social Sector

Meghna Jaishankar, Lead-Alumni Impact, India Leaders for Social Sector, shared. "RNisarg Foundation is working in areas that often do not receive the attention they deserve — waste management and road safety — to help make rural communities more sustainable and resilient. What stands out in Lata’s approach is her understanding that environmental work is deeply interconnected with livelihoods, women’s empowerment, health, and sanitation. A key insight she carried from the ILSS program was that meaningful environmental change cannot happen in isolation. The Foundation’s strong focus on behavioural change, perhaps the slowest yet most lasting form of transformation, is especially commendable. I also deeply appreciate Lata’s belief in collaboration and partnerships between organisations working towards shared goals.  

If you would like to get in touch with the NGO, you can visit www.rnisargfoundation.com

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