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ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2021

United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. In 2021, over 25,000 young leaders on 2,000+ campuses across 153 nations applied to join the Class of 2021. 136 campuses worldwide (just 6%) were selected to host the 2,000+ Millennium Fellows. The Class of 2021 is bold, innovative, and inclusive.

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UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT AASTHA MISHRA, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2021.

Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Chennai, India | Advancing SDG 5 & UNAI 3

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" Realizing the importance of the education and support I have received, in my growth and development as a human, I believe every child deserves a quality education and a conducive environment to grow and reach their fullest potential. Unfortunately, children with learning disorders, especially in countries like India, are often unable to access the help they need to grow, as, owing to ignorance, their condition is misunderstood by teachers and parents alike. We believe our project would be a small step towards bridging this gap, where we shall educate parents and other stakeholders involved, about such disorders and connect them to professionals. We also hope to develop technological solutions which could later help children. I see the Millennium Fellowship as a great opportunity to meet and interact with like-minded individuals across the globe and learn from their experiences of working on their projects. "

Millennium Fellowship Project: Amara

Young girls often drop out of school before completing their education due to a lack of proper washroom facilities and intolerable sanitary conditions. To solve this problem, one of our team members has designed a sanitary pad that is antibacterial, longer-lasting, re-usable, and more sustainable than the ones currently available in the market. The salient features of this design are achieved by property of its structure alone, without the use of harmful chemicals. While the prototype is being developed, we simultaneously worked to launch a social media campaign to draw awareness to the product, as well as increase awareness about topics like menstrual health, hygiene, and women's education. We also conducted seminars at schools across Tamil Nadu, with a focus on Chennai, to educate young girls on these issues, as well as answer any questions they might have. Once the product is ready, we will collaborate with governmental or non-profit organisations to distribute the pads to school children. We are aiming to work with Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, as the sanitary pad design is a sustainable alternative to existing models, which contributes to the Clean India Mission. We believe that these measures would influence young girls to remain in school.

About the Millennium Fellow

Aastha Mishra is a third-year student pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree at IIT Madras. Her hobbies include reading, watching and playing racquet sports and singing. She believes in using the education and knowledge which she has received to bring in positive changes for people around her, one step at a time and hopes to do the same during her tenure as a Millennium Fellow. She also believes in learning from and using her past experiences and failures to be a better person and citizen in the future.

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