The Propolis Tour 2023

Hello, Namaste!

Allow me to introduce myself, I am Charlotte Cotton, a social entrepreneur.

I started working in the social sector in 2020 as a fundraising officer for a local non-profit organization in Hong Kong while providing sex education programs in local schools.

For two and a half years, I have been working on the subject of menstrual hygiene and education in Udaipur, Rajasthan, with a project I co-started called "Mewar Collective".

All over the world, women are victims of sexual violence, including rape. Research shows that the earlier a sex education program is delivered, including answering taboo questions to children, the less harm men will do to women in terms of physical, mental and emotional abuse.

Conversely, more conservative countries that oppose sex education face more cases of sexual violence.

Many countries face serious problems with sexual violence, including India, a country notorious for its rape culture where a woman is raped every 15 minutes (2018 data).

I am currently participating until December in a program called Kanthari (it is the name of a small Indian pepper), an international institute for social leadership, in Trivandrum, India, where I am now focusing my work on the theme of interpersonal communication to address the problem of sexual violence in the world, with a project called "Propolis".

Propolis or "bee glue" is used in the hive to seal cracks or holes, maintaining the ambient internal temperature. For us, it's an immune system against taboo words. Cultural taboos such as sexual wellness, menstruation, and mental health are compounded of stigma and misperceptions that limit our bodies and reduce everyone's quality of life.

With Propolis, we want to create an inclusive environment where openness and understanding replace low self-esteem and shame.

At the end of the Kanthari program, I will deliver the Propolis Program with a very special tour.

What is it about? It's a tour, where I will meet schools and different institutes to deliver my program, with educational tools providing interpersonal communication skills using a sensory and tactical board game, sponsored by OHWOMAN®.

I plan to reach over 1,000 people.

Which cities will be visited? The tour will pass through different cities in South India, ending in Mumbai, with an international conference that I will organize called "No More Taboos", inviting experts to discuss on the subject.

When will the tour start? From January 2023

How much does the tour cost? 7,000 euros for four months, including:

- Transport costs between different cities (buses and trains) and inside cities

- School supplies (paper and pens)

- Advertising marketing (SEO, ads)

- Website Costs (Hosting and Domain)

- Filming equipment (quality camera)

- Travel insurance

- Meals and accommodation costs