Nearly 50,000 students in Tamil Nadu's Adi Dravidar hostels to receive TAHDCO's Polivu personal care kits
According to official sources, a total of 1,331 Adi Dravidar hostels for school and college students are functioning in the State. Nearly 35,000 school students and 15,000 college students staying in these hostels are set to receive 'Polivu' personal care kits, this year. Last academic year, the TAHDCO had distributed such kits on a pilot-basis to students residing in college hostels.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu government provided financial assistance of ₹100 per month for school students and ₹150 for college students to purchase personal care products. In a move aimed at ensuring the quality of these products and creating livelihood opportunities for women from Scheduled Caste communities, TAHDCO has decided to manufacture and distribute these personal care products, replacing the financial assistance initiative, through a newly-formed society under the Polivu brand, said official sources.
Vasanthi Kumaresan, State Project Manager (Schemes), TAHDCO, said the products are being made by 60 women belonging to Scheduled Caste communities from five self-help groups at a manufacturing unit located in Ambattur, Chennai, established with financial support from the National Scheduled Caste Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC).
What's in the kit?
Each Polivu kit contains four 75 gm bath soaps, 200 ml hair wash shampoo, 200 ml coconut oil, 500 gm detergent powder, 150 gm detergent soap and one toothbrush and toothpaste. While coconut oil is being sourced and packed under the 'Polivu' brand, the toothbrush and toothpaste are currently outsourced. TAHDCO has proposed to include bamboo toothbrushes sourced from a startup in future kits as a sustainable alternative, Ms. Vasanthi said.
The kits will be distributed thrice a year to ensure students in Adi Dravidar hostels have consistent access to essential personal care products, promoting better hygiene and well-being. The initiative also empowers women from Scheduled Caste communities who could earn at least ₹ 15,000 a month, officials said.
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