On a trip to West Bengal, India, in September 2018, I met a group of young women who work in a small independently-run sewing unit. They live in an area where human trafficking is a risk they face every day. By earning an income they are able to stay safe and provide for their families.

I learnt that they, and other women and girls like them, can't afford to buy disposable sanitary towels and they often miss work and school because they're concerned about leaving the house without adequate protection. So... I returned to the sewing unit in January with a suitcase full of technical fabrics so that the women in the unit could make their own set of washable sanitary towels and never have to miss work again. Their reaction to the product was overwhelmingly positive and they now want to make more and sell them locally.

Having successfully made prototypes and done some sampling in the unit, the women have completed their first small production run. My aim now is to raise enough money to cover the cost of raw materials for the first commercial batch of washable sanitary towels to be made in the sewing unit. By crowdfunding to subsidise their first production, the women will be able to generate enough profit to cover the cost of raw materials for their next batch, which will in turn generate profit for subsequent production runs.

Earning a living helps to keep these young women and their family members safe from traffickers. Almost half of victims of human trafficking in India are from West Bengal.