How you can gift Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding

Just contribute to one of the seven charities chosen by them.

Photograph: Courtesy Kensington Royal/Twitter

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have found an innovative way to put their wedding gifts to good use.

The couple announced that anyone who might wish to mark their wedding day on May 19, 2018, should consider making a donation to one of the seven charities chosen by them, rather than sending a wedding gift.

'The couple have personally chosen seven charities which represent a range of issues that they are passionate about including sport for social change, women's empowerment, conservation, the environment, homelessness, HIV and the Armed Forces,' said a palace statement. 'The couple have therefore asked that anyone who might wish to mark the occasion considers making a donation to charity, rather than sending a wedding gift.'

Among the seven charities featured in the list, there is Mumbai-based Myna Mahila Foundation, which has been hand-picked by the couple. 

The charity gives women access to low-cost sanitary pads at their doorstep, which helps mothers in these communities equip their daughters to stay in school.

It empowers women in Mumbai's slums by providing them with a trusted network, stable employment and breaks taboos around menstrual hygiene.

Meghan Markle has visited the NGO in January 2017 and that's probably the reason why only one Indian charity features in the list of organisations that will receive donations in place of gifts for their royal wedding next month.

The team at Myna Mahila Foundation. Photograph: Courtesy Myna Mahila Foundation/Instagram

Founded in 2015 by Suhani Jalota, Myna Mahila Foundation is delighted to be a part of the special occasion.

'This support will enable us to expand our reach into more urban slums in Mumbai, empowering local women through access to menstrual hygiene products and employment opportunities,' said the founder, who  featured in The Forbes 30 Under 30 2018 Asia list. 

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The foundation works as a "trusted network" in Mumbai's urban slums, empowering its staff through training in women's health, English, Maths, and life skills such as self-defence.

Myna Mahila Foundation put up a social media post thanking Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Photograph: Courtesy Myna Mahila Foundation/Instagram

The sanitary products are manufactured and distributed by women from these communities as part of wider professional and personal support to help them "grow as individuals and businesswomen".

Markle had written about the charity in Time magazine after her visit to Mumbai in March, 2017.

'During my time in the slum communities outside of Mumbai, I shadowed women who are part of a micro-finance system where they manufacture sanitary napkins and sell them within the community,' the American actress wrote.

This pic was taken during Meghan Markle's visit to Myna Mahila Foundation. Photograph: Courtesy Kensington Royal/Twitter

'The namesake of the organisation, Myna Mahila Foundation, refers to a chatty bird 'Myna' and 'Mahila' meaning woman. The name echoes the undercurrent of this issue: we need to speak about it, to be 'chatty' about it,' she added.

These are the other charities who will benefit from the royal wedding. 

>> Chiva Projects

Photographs: Courtesy Kensington Royal/Twitter

It supports children growing up with HIV and their families.

>> Crisis UK

Crisis helps people directly out of homelessness, working side by side with thousands of people each year to help them rebuild their lives.

>> Wilderness UK

This foundation promotes and preserves wild nature, builds resilience in vulnerable teenagers and introduces rural employment to urban youth.

>> Surfers Against Sewage

This marine conservation and campaigning charity has been protecting UK's oceans and beaches.

It has been founded by the creators of Plastic Free Coastlines.

>> Street Games

A charity which uses sport to empower young people to kick-start a cycle of positive change in their own lives.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited one of the charity's projects together in Cardiff earlier this year.

>> Corporal Scotty

The couple have also chosen Corporal Scotty, a charity that offers vital support and activities to children who have lost a parent while serving in the British Armed Forces, helping them to smile again.

(With inputs from PTI)