Cora is a monthly subscription service for organic tampons, pads, and panty liners. Each month when they ship your monthly supply, they provide a month’s supply of sustainable sanitary pads to young women in a developing countries so they can stay in school, play with their friends, and be their radiant self, every day of the month.
Director's Statement
The more I travel the world, the more I see. The more people I come to know and call my friends, the more I believe that we as humans are innately drawn to one another. Our pasts, our present and even our futures are so bound and intertwined that we cannot see where one stops and the other ends.
Today I find myself at one of Urmi’s New Light Schools. These young girls come from all walks of life with backstories that read like a Hollywood screenplay. The majority are at risk for sex trafficking and removed from their homes at an early age to get an education. They have agreed to spend the day with us.
As the day begins and these girls begin to open their lives to us little by little I begin to see a pattern. The backstory doesn’t matter – those have come and gone now. What matters are the smart, beautiful young women sitting in front of me right now. They are unbelievably poised and well spoken as they tell me of their dreams to be doctors, actresses, and singers when they grow up. A few girls tell us they want to be dancers and volunteer to dance for us.
One thing is certain – these girls have a bright future – and for the first time I understand why Urmi called her organization New Light.
Behind the Scenes
The tranquil peace exuberating postcards lied. India is anything but quiet. Riding in cabs in India makes riding in New York City cabs look like a Sunday joyride in a horse drawn trolley. We are less than 8 minutes deep into our journey halfway around the world and I can already tell you that if I make it back to the states alive, I will have a new appreciation for Grandma’s sub 45 mph driving technique. All I can think about is how much this surreal moment feels like a music video for Rob Zombie’s “Superbeast”. Good thing I love roller coasters.
The Result
I have met some of the kindest most gentle souls I will ever come across. Yet it is not lost on me how difficult their lives have been. Most welcome you with open arms and a smile, but in their eyes — a pain I will never understand. The Indian Caste System, created as a means of control, is archaic in nature and hovers over this place like a storm cloud waiting to erupt. I feel for my new friends. However, I am also taken back by how strong and unbelievably happy they seem even in the face of despair. I will miss my friends.
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