ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2023
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. 44,000+ student leaders from 3,300+ campuses across 170+ nations applied to join the Class of 2023. 260+ campuses worldwide (just 9%) in 38 countries were selected to host 4,000+ Millennium Fellows for the Class of 2023.

UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT NIKITA PAUDEL, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW AND CAMPUS DIRECTOR FOR THE CLASS OF 2023.
Yale University | Connecticut, United States | Advancing SDG 5 & UNAI 3

Millennium Fellowship Project: Pyari
Our initiative endeavors to address prevailing stigmas surrounding menstruation in Nepal while concurrently promoting economic empowerment for women and girls. Additionally, we aim to enhance the hygienic conditions for adolescents in the region. The core of our project involves the establishment of a club tailored for public school girls and their mothers. This club will serve as a platform, bringing together community health workers and local tailors to facilitate a comprehensive initiative.
During the sessions, community health workers will impart knowledge to girls and their mothers regarding menstrual health, offering a health-oriented perspective on this natural process. Simultaneously, local tailors will provide practical skills, teaching girls how to independently sew their own organic reusable pads. This dual-pronged educational approach is designed to empower participants both in understanding their health and acquiring valuable skills.
Furthermore, we envision a sustainable economic model by leveraging the expertise of these tailors. The produced reusable pads will be offered in local markets at a price comparable to other menstrual products. Additionally, we plan to tap into international markets, targeting audiences willing to pay a surcharge for sustainable products. This revenue-generation strategy aims to ensure the financial viability and longevity of our project.
The project, named "प्यारी" (Pyari), meaning "lovely" in Nepali, Hindi, and Urdu, underscores our commitment to cross-ethnic and cross-faith ideals. Moreover, it symbolizes our rejection of menstrual stigmas by emphasizing the inherent beauty and normalcy of this natural biological process.
About the Millennium Fellow
Nikita Paudel is a junior global affairs student at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Nikita is passionate about international human rights; more specifically, gender quality, access to education, and the rights of vulnerable populations. As a Nepali native, much of her research is centered around menstrual health and the taboos surrounding menstruation in rural areas on South Asia, specially Syangja, Nepal. Through her project, she hopes to help all the women in the region have access to proper menstrual health education and hygiene products. After she graduates, Nikita plans to earn a master's in public policy in and work in a field regarding human rights.


