Fighting Period Poverty In Kenya

We are two socialwork students who are doing our internship in an NGO, Positive Life Kenya (PLK), in Nairobi Kenya. We are doing a fundraising for material to create reusable pads, for women to prevent period poverty.

Studies from Kenya shows that 2/3 women do not have the money to afford sanitary pads. This has a comprehensive negative impact on gender equality in Kenya because these women won't be able to go to school or work during their menstruations.

We also know from studies, that 2/3 women get their sanitary products from their sexual partners. We have been talking to women who have sex for as little as 50 Kenyan shillings (equal to 40 cents) so they can buy pads for themselves or their daughters. This could indicate that these women are not the only ones who have to go to the extremes in the attempt to get something as "basic" as menstrual hygiene products.

In Kenya menstruation is seen as a tabu. 50 % of women do not talk about this topic at home. We are trying to break the silence so that women will feel more comfortable talking about menstruation with each other, their parents, or sexual partners. Menstruation is natural and women should NOT feel uncomfortable talking about it.

The money we are trying to raise will fund the machines and the materials that are needed to produce the reusable pads, and will also include the salary for the women who are creating the product by hand, in the community house of PLK, that is placed in Mlolongo, Kenya.