Be the change
Mission:
To keep as many girls in education and away from prostitution as possible; and to uplift lives.
Vision:
To Educate, Enable and Empower women on hygiene, Menstrual Health Management (MHM), circular economy and environmental responsibility.
Focus:
Making an impact on Women’s Health, Infection Control, Education, Water and Sanitation, Economical and the Environmental sectors.
THE STORY BEHIND IT ALL
- I am a pharmacist by profession, but I hold two diplomas: One in Dance and another in Yoga. I moved to Kenya in 2014 and whilst I was waiting to register as a pharmacist, I joined a voluntary organisation to teach Yoga and Dance in the slums around Nairobi. My regular trips to the slums brought me face to face with the period-pad-problem. This is where the journey of PadMad began. The girls would timidly explain their absenteeism and their embarrassment of leakage during class time. They would share their inability to participate in sports or other activities just because of lack of sanitary ware. They used mattresses, old (often dirty) cloth, newspapers, etc. These would lead to infections, skin rashes, mattresses would stick to the skin in the sensitive areas and so on.
STATISTICS
The following statistics drove us:
- 65% of females in Kenya cannot afford sanitary pads.
- On average, girls in Kenya are absent for 4.9 days a month from school.
- 1 in 10 fifteen years old girl resort to prostitution.
- Disposable pads take 500-800 years to breakdown in a landfill.
- Disposable pads have chemicals which can lead to skin irritations, cramps and other health issues.
WHAT WE STRIVE TO DO
- We are keeping girls in education, because they can reuse the pads and feel comfortable enough to come to school without leaks and shame. Our program has benefited thousands of girls across Kenya keeping them in school.
- We are encouraging gender equality by raising awareness with our inclusive programs which help boys understand about women’s health and also helps communities to support equal opportunities.
- We educate boys and girls on Menstrual Health Management (MHM).
- Our reusable sanitary pads contribute to reductions in teenage prostitution.
- Our products are eco-friendly and can biodegrade quicker than an orange peel (within 6 Months).
- Our pads are made from natural products. They are free of toxic chemicals, therefore reducing the risks of cramps, infections and skin irritations.
- Our reusable sanitary pads are significantly more affordable. They are about 12 times cheaper than disposable products over a five-year period.
- Our products last at least five years.
- We have partnered with Water Solutions company to be able to reach areas with clean water issues.
- We conduct FREE workshops in schools for boys and girls to educated them on MHM (menstrual health management) and work on making a pad from beginning to end.
- We train and mentor women in the slums to make good quality pads which are then purchased by PadMad.
OUR PROGRAMS
We educate, train, mentor, empower and support women in the rural areas to form cooperatives or Saccos for their pad business. This program includes in depth MHM education, training of making the pads of good quality, advising on business skills, micro-finance, etc
HOW WE COMPARE TO OTHER PRODUCTS
- We use 100% natural material which does not cause irritation of the skin like fleece, PUL or other synthetic materials do.
- The cotton we use is much easier to clean and therefore reuse hygienically.
- Our quality of cloth is of higher standard and is therefore reusable AT LEAST 5 years as opposed to 1-2 years.
- Our design is aesthetically pleasing which helps deal with the stigma attached to carrying and using the pads.
- We include a reusable bag for carrying soiled pads making it possible for the girl to change her pads in school and therefore stay in class.
- These pads are made in Kenya using Kenyan raw material and are therefore supporting many livelihoods in places like Kibera and Kariobangi, to name a few.
- They are more cost effective than disposable pads in the long run.
- We provide essential education with regards to Menstrual Health Management (MHM), good hygiene, significance of landfill issues with regards to disposable pads and tampons and also on cost effectiveness.
WHAT MAKES US PROUD OF WHAT WE DO
- We have won three awards already
- We are a gender lens impact social enterprise which is empowering women, keeping girls in education and is environmentally and health responsible
- We believe in BUY KENYA, BUILD KENYA
- Our outreach programs have been received extremely positively.
Please donate generously to this cause. Your donations will help keep girls in school, and away from prostitution. The girls will be able to hold their dignity, participate in sports and other activities and feel confident. The infections and skin rashes will decrease as the overall sanitation issues will be combated. The boys and girls will find a comfortable platform to talk about reproductive health and the marginalized women will be able to generate an income which in turn will improve the quality of life of the respective families.
This is where the struggle should end. Period.
For more information, please look up:
https://www.britsinkenya.com/
Unicef Feature Film 2019 for International Children's Day
My Interview and Documentary on Family TV - The Dreaded Flow:
http://familymediaonline.com/
My Live Interview on Prime Time K24 TV with Shiko Kaittany:
My Interview on Isilolo County News:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/
My feature on NTV:
