Please use all or part of the below case study and image above in your church or circuit newsletter. This story is also available in this month’s edition of Walking Together.
COFCAWE, one of All We Can’s partners in Uganda, has developed a menstrual hygiene product, ‘SafePads’.
After research, they discovered that one of the main factors affecting girls missing school was their period and, more specifically, not having the right products to use, making an already uncomfortable time of the month even worse. Disposable pads are often too expensive for rural families to afford, leaving girls to use old cloths or other unsafe alternatives. Designed to address period poverty amongst schoolgirls and women in rural communities, the ‘SafePads’ initiative aims not only to provide essential reusable menstrual hygiene products but also to empower women through skills training and income generation. Local women, such as Kevin, and schoolgirls have been trained in the production of ‘SafePads’, turning a pressing social need into a sustainable business opportunity.
‘My name is Kevin. I was still in school when I got pregnant after a boy deceived me. My father was very angry, and I ended up leaving home to live with the boy. I gave birth to twins, and later had another child, because in our culture, stopping after twins is not seen as good. But things turned difficult – he went with other women, we argued a lot, and eventually my husband left me. I was left alone with three children. I returned to my parents and they forgave me and took me in. But it was hard. I’m one of ten children, and I had three of my own to care for, so resources were limited. Then the village chairman told me about COFCAWE. I spoke to my parents, and they supported me through the tailoring training. With their help and COFCAWE’s start-up kit and sewing machine, I began earning money and providing for my children. I’m so proud that I’ve started to make the ‘SafePads’ – I think that they’re life-changing. I used to miss school during my period because I had no money for sanitary pads. Now I make pads for girls like me. They won’t need to miss school anymore. My dream is to grow, to one day open my own hub and be an example to others in my community.'
