An Indian Inventor Disrupts The Period Industry • Hacker News Board

Re: An Indian Inventor Disrupts The Period Industry

#71

Post by rayiner » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 7:34 PM UTC

jackityquack wrote: post #53

grannyg00se wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"You need to find a way for farmers to compete in the real world, not coddle them. Microfinance them or something. Maybe teach them to partner with a company with the" Actually, forcing third world farmers to compete internationally on the global market is what bankrupts them and pushes them into financial slavery. They do just fine without industrialized machines otherwise.

So the only way for farmers to survive is to subsidize them? The only way is to spend government money to prop them up? If what you say is true, then other solutions need to be explored. Like I said, maybe partnerships or something so they can compete. It's not economically viable otherwise. It's a waste of capital. It's like funding the music industry because their business doesn't work. Music industry, agricultural…

> So the only way for farmers to survive is to subsidize them?

Yes. When the west was developing industrialization, for example, we heavily subsidized burgeoning industry (and still do).

Re: An Indian Inventor Disrupts The Period Industry

#72

Post by evmar » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 7:34 PM UTC

I am sad to say when I read this I worried whether the manufacturers' samples would come back to bite him in the form of some sort of patent lawsuit. I guess it could be considered a benefit that he isn't making money, as it makes him a smaller target.

Re: An Indian Inventor Disrupts The Period Industry

#73

Post by rayiner » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 7:36 PM UTC

shabda wrote: post #12

Not sure if someone noticed but the women workers are wearing the cloth-mask so as not to be identified in the photo. Interesting, weird and depressing that its embarrassing to be working building sanitary napkins.

It's probably because cellulose fibers and dust can be quite dangerous.

Re: An Indian Inventor Disrupts The Period Industry

#74

Post by russnewcomer » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 7:37 PM UTC

jackityquack wrote: post #15

Good story, but a strange guy. Also, he could probably do more good for his country by selling his product. He would actually disrupt the industry, instead of creating yet another charity project. The way to fight poverty isn't to give poor people poor solution. The way to think about it is that you need to level the playing field, so even Indians would laugh at making their own napkins. If you told a white American…

I can't tell what your nationality is, so my apologies if you have had experience in the developing third world, but it sure doesn't seem like you do.

I used to work in the 3rd world, and I can tell you that most people who have long-term experience in doing relief and development work in developing countries will tell you that the most sustainable way forward are locally targeted initiatives, with simple machines that step a local group forward, generally along the same lines that innovations happened in the developed world. For example, in Afghanistan, the best thing to happen to the infant mortality rate in several regions has not been the creation of a new, relatively modern hospital, but instead mid-wife training programs. (I'm sorry I don't have citations at hand, I was at some presentations in country when I heard this) Especially in places like rural India that have the potential to be conflict zones, this man inventing a cheap, simple machine and selling the machine instead of selling napkins, is an overall net win, it will make him money eventually and it will increase access to sanitary napkins.

Finally, check into the Howard G Buffet foundation for modern success stories on teaching farmers to use non-industrial techniques, and check out a UNDP project, I think in Loghar province in Afghanistan, where they spent time teaching farmers some American 1930s level farming techniques to increase crop yields three fold without machinery and in a fairly sustainable fashion. (Again, I don't have a citation because this came from talking to a project guy in country, I can't even remember who he was working for now)

Basically, what this inventor is the right way to create a sustainable, inexpensive way to increase the usage of sanitary napkins throughout India. Your way might make more money, but has problems if the goal is to increase women's health, which this man's goal clearly is.

*edited for clarity in a couple spots.

Re: An Indian Inventor Disrupts The Period Industry

#75

Post by ibisum » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 7:37 PM UTC

tantalor wrote: post #18

I applaud the inventor's drive to lower the cost of production, but sanitary napkins aren't necessarily the best solution. For instance, a menstrual cup is generally more cost efficient and certainly more environmentally friendly. And it can be manufactured with simple equipment (rubber injection mold). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cup

One problem: rubber?

Solution: Cellulose.

Re: An Indian Inventor Disrupts The Period Industry

#76

Post by solutionyogi » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 7:37 PM UTC

bad_user wrote: post #69

jackityquack wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think wealthy Indians are better than empowered Indians.

There are many wealthy Indians in India already - what India needs is a middle-class - i.e. people that have a roof over their head, with their basic needs taken care of and that are empowered to create their own wealth.

I think the OP meant to suggest that increase wealth of poor people and make them middle class. You can definitely not create wealth by selling 25 cents napkins.

Re: An Indian Inventor Disrupts The Period Industry

#77

Post by afterburner » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 7:41 PM UTC

tibbon wrote: post #60

solutionyogi wrote: post #9

What an inspiring story. I grew up in a lower middle class family and I have two sisters. I know that my sisters and mom could not afford to use napkins because paying for the school fees was more important. As the story mentions, my sisters will take time off from school during those days. His price of 12 rupees (25 cents) for 8 napkins is unbelievably cheap. That means a napkin costs 1.5 rupees which is less than a…

What I love about this story is how it shows the strength that can come from diversity of perspective. Quite honestly, as a middle-class male in America, I had personally never considered this problem. I never considered the cost or availability of them. There are some problems that can never be solved by the top earners, because we often don't know there are problems! Of course, this is why we also fail so spectacul…

Reactions in more traditional societies always seem more paranoid.

That said, we don't necessarily know the whole story. Maybe he was so focused on the research he alienated his wife.

Re: An Indian Inventor Disrupts The Period Industry

#78

Post by absentbird » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 7:41 PM UTC

rayiner wrote: post #68

jackityquack wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People don't care about the environment when they've got more important issues like food, shelter and safety to worry about. Fuck the environment! Help the people.

My dad grew up in Bangladesh (a country of many rivers). When he was young, fish were plentiful in the waters around where he lived. Americans eat maybe a few kinds of fish, but in his culture they had dozens of different kinds as part of the cuisine (because of its abundance). As intensive farming practices took hold in the 1970's and 1980's, the fertilizer run-off got into the rivers and killed many of the fish, an…

> The western world can afford high-tech solutions to clean up water, but the developing world cannot.

You might be surprised what the developing world can put together with electricity and a foot pedal.

Re: An Indian Inventor Disrupts The Period Industry

#79

Post by meow » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 7:42 PM UTC

urbanjunkie wrote: post #8

This is both inspiring and depressing. Female medical students not wishing to talk to a man about menstruation. The fatalistic, egotistical and selfish attitude epitomised by women being unconcerned about losing their uterus. And of course, if you don't care about your own uterus, you're unlikely to care about litter, the environment, or pretty much anything. (ps, as someone who has spent a lot of time in India and w…

When there are so many worries in the present, many people would not really care about problems that might come in the future. You can call it a kind of de-sensitivity to worries due to over exposure to them.

Re: An Indian Inventor Disrupts The Period Industry

#80

Post by _pius » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 7:43 PM UTC

solutionyogi wrote: post #76

bad_user wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many wealthy Indians in India already - what India needs is a middle-class - i.e. people that have a roof over their head, with their basic needs taken care of and that are empowered to create their own wealth.

I think the OP meant to suggest that increase wealth of poor people and make them middle class. You can definitely not create wealth by selling 25 cents napkins.

You can definitely not create wealth by selling 25 cents napkins.

Are you sure about that?

If every (menstruating) woman in your village purchases their sanitary napkins from you every month because you've got the one machine within 25 miles, you may have a compelling small business, especially when adjusted for cost of living and ease of labor.