Tackling Period Poverty
Number of children educated:
21,250 and counting
Number of reusable pad kits distributed:
13,300 and counting
Impact:
Read the amazing feedback from our 2023 survey below
Country:
Kenya
How:
Providing reusable pad kits and education to help fight period poverty
The Issues
%
Of females in Kenya cannot afford sanitary pads, leading to loss of work and school time, and shaming in school
%
Of fifteen-year-old girls in Kenya resort to sex for pads in order to access sanitary products.
Weeks
Kenya Ministry of Education estimate of how often a girl misses school every year due to Period Poverty
Million
UN estimate of number of girls dropping out of schools across the world every year as a result of issues relating to menstruation.
The Solution
Reusable Pad Kits
– We supply reusable pad kits to vulnerable girls. The kits cover the whole menstrual cycle, last for up to 5 years, are easily washable in minimal cold water and cheap bar soap, and only cost £5,50 per kit.
– They are made of 100% cotton and are fully biodegradable. Disposable pads take 500-800 years to break down in a landfill and are a one-time use only product. In Kenya, they are commonly disposed off down a pit latrine or on the streets, where they accumulate and smell. Reusable pad kits are a sustainable solution and decompose naturally.
– 100% cotton cloth pads are also much better for women’s health, preventing infections, cramps and skin irritations caused by chemicals in disposal pads.
– We distribute PadMad Kenya pad kits, which are made locally in Kenya by a social enterprise employing marginalised women.
Education
Free education is also provided on menstrual health management and on sexual and reproductive rights to the girls AND boys, and the teachers.
This helps the girls live in dignity and comfort as taboos are broken and they are taught how to look after themselves and their health properly.
Our Impact
Launch
Since our project launched on 8 March 2021, we have distributed reusable pad kits to more than 13,000 girls and educated more than 20,000 boys and girls on menstruation, menstrual health management, infections and sexual and reproductive rights.
Result
Receiving one of these pad kits totally transforms a poor girl’s life, preventing shaming in school, school dropouts due to poverty and sex for pads. Girls are able to continue their education in dignity and pride and this reduces teenage pregnancies and infections as well.
Feedback
In 2023, we surveyed 3,133 girls who received the pad kits and used them for more than 3 months. The results are astounding:
- 95% of the girls used the pad kits every time they had their period
- 99% of the girls have not missed school since receiving the kits, and 100% have not missed exams
- 76% used all the pads in the kit
- 100% of the girls did not experience any teasing in school after receiving the kits.
- 94% of the girls said that the pads were comfortable and 77% said that they suffered less cramps when using these pads.
All the girls said that getting the pad kits saved them money and that the pads did not cause any rashes. These are very difficult times in Kenya, with the economy taking a nose-dive and lots of protests and demonstrations by the public as the cost of living has skyrocketed.
This simple act of helping girls save money on disposable pads makes a huge difference and also stops them from wearing rags and mattresses that are unhygienic and spread infections. It also stops the girls from having to resort to offering sex for pads, which was happening at least two of the schools that we helped, given the teachers’ comments.
The teachers’ comments also highlight these additional benefits:
- Increase in academic performance and confidence.
- Increase in confidence and comfort.
- Girls are no longer having to resort to sex for pads.
- Girls are no longer missing school or exams due to periods.
- The environment in the school got better and there is less blockage of the latrines because of the disposable pads.
- The surrounding environment also improved as disposable pads were not being thrown away around the school (there is a lack of garbage collection facilities in poor areas).
- Teachers are no longer having to use their own money to buy pads for the girls who can’t afford them.
- Girls are no longer wearing unhygienic materials to school when they have their periods.
Environment
15.6million disposable pads will be saved from landfill for 13,000 pad kits distributed. This will have a tremendous impact on the environment and the health of the communities we support in Kenya.
