Our Empowerment Impact

Summary

In Butula Subcounty, Busia County, Kenya, young girls frequently miss school during their menstrual periods because they cannot afford hygiene products. We supply these girls with washable, reusable pads, which allows them to stay in school. Long-term, we aim to reduce the ecological damage caused by disposable pads that are discarded in rivers and on the streets in rural areas lacking municipal trash collection. This project will also create job opportunities and provide seamstress training for local women through our Sewing Project to produce these pads

Challenge

In the impoverished Butula Subcounty of Busia County, Kenya, we find that underprivileged girls and young women are battling with their menstruation cycles. Many are unable to afford hygiene products each month due to financial constraints. There is also an environmental issue, as non-reusable pads are thrown into rivers and land, given that this rural area of Butula does not have any trash collection.

Our goal is to offer reusable and washable sanitary pads, crafted by the Sista Plus Sanitary Solution Project with the help of local women seamstresses. We already have a distribution network in place, as our not-for-profit medical clinics serve over 20,000 young women and girls each year. These pads are designed for long-term use, significantly reducing the amount of non-recyclable and hazardous waste from disposable pads in the community.

Solution

The initiative is set to create a beneficial environmental effect by reducing the waste that ends up in rivers and on land. This will be achieved by substituting disposable sanitary pads with washable, reusable alternatives in 2000 households.

Additionally, it will provide significant cost savings for local young women and girls by removing the monthly financial burden of purchasing sanitary pads and tampons. Furthermore, the project aims to empower these young women by offering training and job opportunities to help them become seamstresses.

Long-term Impact