Even in my wildest dreams, I never imagined I would be part of a Guinness World Record. But sometimes, destiny has its own plans. I truly believe that “hume jis jagah pe pohchna hota hai, kismat hume waha pohcha he deti hai” (destiny always takes us where we need to be).
It all began with a random text from my professor, Dr. Rajan Desai. He mentioned that Kamakhya India was organizing an event and that it would be fun, so I should enroll. Without knowing any details, I decided to go for it and filled out the form. Within a week, I received a call from them, and that’s where my incredible journey began.
Initially, I wasn’t excited at all. I didn’t know anything about the event or even about Kamakhya. For those who don’t know, Kamakhya is an NGO dedicated to busting myths about periods and ending period poverty. They even make their own sustainable sanitary pads.
After I got the call, all the volunteers were summoned for a meeting where we were briefed about the main event and the pre-events. The pre-events, which began a month before the main event, included collaborating with LGBTQ+ individuals, a session on movement wellness, and more. Each pre-event ended with a teaser about the main event, hinted as Kamakhya X GWR.
I have to say, their marketing was on point. They even had us make a reel(Forcefully)—credit for that goes to Bansri Didi. The anticipation kept building, and I slowly started to realize how special this was going to be.
I was recruited into the management team, working under Prathna Didi and Madhumita Didi. Trust me, both are medical professionals, but you wouldn’t guess it at first glance—they’re always ready for some fun. And They also scolded us a fair bit because my friends(Dhyey and Feneel)and I were pretty lazy and lethargic at times. Without these four amazing people, this event would have been boring for me.
So far, I’ve shared the fun side, but there was a lot of hard work involved too. We had weekly team meetings where tasks were assigned, and we had to meet our deadlines, whether it was calling influencers or making lists. These tasks were manageable, but the last week was incredibly hectic. For the Guinness World Record, we made over 20,000 sanitary pads and applied glue drops to them ourselves. It was tough, especially for the core team who had to stick the pads.
I’ve always dreamed of spending a night in a mall, and during this internship, that dream came true. For event preparations, we boys were asked to stay at the mall, and we ended up hanging out there until 4 AM.
The next day, we attempted the Guinness World Record and succeeded with a tag line of “FLOW FOR THE FUTURE”. It was an incredible experience! The record was for menstrual health awareness, and we not only achieved it but also aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by WHO. We arranged stalls focused on awareness and contributing to nature, and we truly succeeded in our mission.
To know more about this amazing journey, you can check out my Instagram handle!
Thanks to Kamakhya India and Nandini Ma’am (sorry Nandidni didi-iykyk), for this incredible opportunity. Working alongside 40 volunteers felt like being part of a small, tight-knit family.
After experiencing this, I’m eager to continue my journey with Kamakhya India because the work they do for menstrual awareness is truly remarkable. They’ve made a lasting impact, and I’m inspired to be a part of their ongoing efforts.
Stay tuned because in my next blog, I’ll be back on your screens. Until then, keep that curiosity alive.
Regards,
Madhav
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