Home Health Disable women make reusable sanitary pads to tackle period poverty

Disable women make reusable sanitary pads to tackle period poverty

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[[Tunaweza Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Community Based Organisation (CBO) Director Charity Chahasi. Photo/Ahmed Omar/Sept’ 24, 24].

To ensure the retention of young girls from vulnerable families in school, a group of women living with disabilities in Bombolulu, Nyali Sub-County, Mombasa have ventured into sewing reusable sanitary pads.

They urged the government to procure reusable sanitary pads to distribute to vulnerable girls in hard-to-reach areas as they are the panacea of period poverty.

Tunaweza Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Community Based Organisation (CBO) was launched in 2000 by women abled differently to provide a platform for them to discuss their issues.

The CBO comprises women with physical disabilities, albinism, and cerebral palsy.

“Women with disabilities were very much vulnerable in the community and had no way to be heard or to be seen,” said the CBO Director Charity Chahasi.

The CBO works with more than 100 groups of disabilities in Mombasa. The group mainly focuses on economic empowerment activities.

“We want Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) to be empowered, self-reliant and earn a living through the production of their products but not to be dependents or beggars in the streets,” explained Chahasi.

The group wants to ensure girls use hygienic products during their periods to avoid using old rags, and pieces of mattresses or engage in sexual activities or early marriages for pads.

The group is also advocating for the use of reusable pads as they are environmentally friendly and are relatively cheap.

Impact

“During floods or windy days the other pads you would find them at your doorstep and littering everywhere. We decided to make these pads to make our environment clean,” stated Chahasi.

The women use local materials like kitenge, a liner of cotton and flexible plastic.

The reusable sanitary pads come in different kits; one with two liners and one wing, four liners and two wings, five liners and two wings and eight liners and two wings.  The price ranges from Sh250 to Sh800.

“As we make we have a wing made in a way that it doesn’t soil the underpants of a girl. The blood is soaked in a liner that is pure cotton. We have a small baby material which is plastic that is put in the wing to prevent the blood from getting into the panty,” elucidated Chahasi.

She added that the reusable sanitary pads are comfortable, cost-effective since they can be used for up to three years.

The reusable sanitary pad, she noted is healthy and hygienic for a girl because once used it can be washed and dried in the sun.

“It’s very healthy for the girl, unlike other pads which itches and has some side effects.

The group has done a follow-up on the reusable pads to customers and has attested to be healthy.

[Tunaweza Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Community Based Organisation (CBO) Member at work. Photo/Ahmed Omar/Sept’ 24, 24]. 

Through well-wishers, the group has distributed the pads in Samburu, and Tana River counties benefitting 16,000 girls. They have also supplied 1000 pads in Tanzania, 500 to India, and 500 to the Netherlands.

“They have helped to retain girls in schools. When we are distributing we teach the girls how they use the pads,” stated Chahasi.

 

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