Project Prema: How Nua Provided Sanitary Pads Across Mumbai During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Periods don’t pause for a pandemic. Yet during the COVID-19 lockdown, access to sanitary pads became nearly impossible for thousands of women in India. With millions in quarantine and red zones, many suffered without basic menstrual hygiene—a reality no one should face.

That’s where Project Prema was born. This video tells the story of a community-driven movement led by Nua, in collaboration with Y Water and the Global Shapers Community. The goal: raise funds and distribute sanitary pads to women in Mumbai’s hardest-hit areas.

The results were powerful. Over ₹22 lakhs raised in four weeks, reaching 30,000 women across Mumbai and Maharashtra. But beyond the numbers were personal stories: mothers in quarantine, daughters in red zones, women cut off from essential care. Project Prema wasn’t just about pads—it was about dignity.

With support from the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and the Maharashtra State Innovation Society, distribution was carried out quickly and respectfully. Most moving of all, the video highlights the role of the Nua Woman community, whose collective compassion made it possible.

“Prema” means love, and that’s what this project symbolized—care, equity, and solidarity during a crisis. A reminder that sometimes, change begins with something as simple and powerful as a pad.