Organic Sanitary Pads - Women Development Fund

About

The Dignity Pad (DP) Initiative

The DP initiative is WODEF’s program targeting to improve sexual reproductive health among young women and girls in Kenya. The initiative focuses on production of Organic Sanitary Pads and Napkins using banana stems/stalks to relieve young women and girls in high poverty-stricken families from heavy financial burden that goes into purchase of conventional sanitary pads. DP aims to improve menstrual health management and hygiene while ensuring that NO girl is absent from school for lack of Sanitary pads. It also focuses on de-radicalizing high stigma levels associated with menstrual management among young women and girls in communities.

"Give A Hand To Make
The Better World"

About the production of Organic Sanitary Pads and Baby Napkins using banana stalks

WODEF in partnership with Amsha Africa Foundation with the engagement of other partner organizations like Paul Rop Foundation (PRF), PATH, Global Connection Foundation, Life Skill Promoters, Integrated Development Facility (IDF), Girl Transform Initiative, Daraja Women and Youth Empowerment (DAWUOYE) is conducting a 5-Day training Workshop on Menstrual Health & Hygiene Management (production of Organic reusable sanitary towels and Baby Napkins using banana stalk fibres), training over 50 participants representing various women groups and organizations drawn from across Kisii and Nyamira Counties of Kenya. The Workshop primarily focuses on building the capacity of Trainers of trainees (TOTs) to acquire hand-skills and knowledge to engage impoverished families in making of re-usable Organic reusable sanitary towels and baby napkins to ease the financial burden while making contributions to localization of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 “Good Health & Wellbeing”, 4 “Quality Education and 5 “Gender Equality”.

This project is aimed to empower women living in rural areas with no access to safe sanitary pads during the menstruation period. With tough economic times, most Kenyans in rural areas cannot afford commercial sanitary pads or tampons and resort to use unhygienic and potentially. Amsha Africa and Women Development Fund (WODEF) have formed a partnership to provide knowledge and hands-on skills in making reusable pads using locally available materials in Kisii and Nyamira county in Kenya. Banana is the staple food in this region. However, after harvesting the banana stork, the stem and the rest of the banana plant is destroyed or given to animals and not much economic gain is achieved. To this regard, Amsha Africa researched and discovered that the banana stems has fibers that when extracted can make super absorbent pads. The fibers are then collected, treated and sewn with a cloth to make comfortable pads that can be reused and washed. Moreover, the banana fibers are treated with aloe vera and eucalyptus sap, (which are grown in plenty in the region) to act as anti-germs and antibacterial, to make the pad germ and infection free. From this project, girls from not so privileged families can be able to learn the skills and make the pads on their own saving themselves shame and stigma associated with lack of pads and save money for their parents.