Georgetown Project RISHI

Project RISHI (Rural India Social & Health Improvement) at Georgetown is a 100% student-run organization that strives to promote sustainable development in rural India. We partner directly with villages in India and work with community members and leaders to identify problems and create effective and sustainable solutions. All RISHI initiatives follow a 5-step methodology that ensures sustainability and scalability: understand, research, finance, implement, and evaluate. 


Currently, we are working with migrant women in villages surrounding the Beawar district of Ajmer in the state of Rajasthan in northern India. A major challenge facing rural women in Rajasthan is the stigma associated with menstruation. Rural women are rarely given information regarding their menstrual health and hygiene, making them prone to infections. In addition, many rural women lack affordable access to feminine hygiene products.

After conducting extensive primary and secondary research on the ground in Beawar over the past year, we decided to address this problem by adopting a two-pronged approach:

First, in partnership with EcoFemme, an India-based NGO, we are working to develop an educational curriculum to de-stigmatize menstruation and share information on best practices to maintain feminine hygiene. In order to make this a sustainable project, we are working with volunteers from Beawar to train them to deliver this information to local communities in rural Ajmer. In order to make this a sustainable project, we are working with volunteers from Beawar to train them to deliver this information to local communities in rural Ajmer. 

Second, we are raising funds to create a steady supply of feminine hygiene products including pads. We received a grant from Georgetown University’s Social Innovation and Public Service Fund, which is helping us implement a pilot program with Ecofemme to gauge the effectiveness of providing women in Beawar with reusable sanitary cloth pads. 


In early October, we are going to conduct an endline survey. If the survey results are positive, we are planning to supply all women in Rudali with Ecofemme pads. Our goal is to reach 700 women and provide at least 4 Ecofemme pads per woman. 

Members of the Georgetown Project Rishi trip plan to visit India in the summer of 2022 to review first-hand the impact of our work, conduct educational workshops, and plan our next project.