Manushi promotes AIDS awareness among rural women

Mumbai: Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar feels it is important to create AIDS awareness among people - especially rural women in India.

So, with her non-profit organisation, Project Shakti, Manushi started AIDS awareness programme among rural women across 20 villages in India.

The initiative rolled out on Sunday with the objective to spread AIDS awareness through community outreach.

Talking about the initiative, Manushi said: "AIDS awareness among women will be one of the key initiatives of Project Shakti because I do feel women of our country are at risk due to lack of awareness programmes.

"We work with hundreds of women across India and we are looking to educate them about AIDS awareness so that they can spread this important message in their respective communities. It is absolutely essential for our country to fight AIDS and I'm looking forward to doing my bit for the cause."

Founded in 2017, Project Shakti aims at improving the menstrual hygiene of women in India. The organisation provides free sanitary pads among women and has also empowered the women of the community by making them earn a living and become self-reliant.

"I started it 3 years ago aimed at bringing about social change. We are operating in India across 12 states (and expanding in the African continent) where we have these machines which produce sanitary pads from natural fiber. We employ women from our society and empower them by providing employment.

"I feel like you can help people and you can provide for them but giving them skills and giving them the means to actually fend for themselves is what Project Shakti is all about," she added.

On the work front, Manushi is all set to make her Bollywood debut opposite Akshay Kumar in "Prithviraj".