Africa-Press – Uganda. AFRIpads, a Ugandan social business says they have they have managed to donate five million free menstrual kits to over five million women and girls who previously couldn’t afford the towels.
According to the organisation’s chief executive officer, Joris Boon, the reusable menstrual pads have now provided a dignified menstrual solution to five million women and girls across the globe and the milestone is worth celebrating because it shows that even with unskilled labour, Africa-based manufacturing in a rural village has capacity to have an impact around the world and create the much needed jobs.
“Alongside celebrating the impact we have had on the lives of so many women and girls, this milestone is also an opportunity to celebrate Africa-based manufacturing and the importance of the Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) campaign,” he said on Wednesday.
He explained that all the menstrual kits were manufactured in Kitengeesa village in Masaka City by unskilled workers and has since been distributed around the world.
“By establishing our manufacturing operations in the small village of Kiteengesa, we lifted the unskilled workers from the local area into the formal economy, created much needed jobs and contributed to Uganda’s overall development,” he added.
Asked how long it took them to distribute the free sanitary towels and the methods they used, he said for 12 years now, they have partnered with 200 organizations around the world to support women and girls to create a social impact so as to overcome the challenges that women and girls face while on their period in relation to access, affordability and sustainability of menstrual products.
According to him, AFRIpads which started as the pioneer menstrual health movement and the leading manufacturer of reusable sanitary pads across Africa has grown into the world’s leading social enterprise dedicated to manufacturing high quality reusable sanitary towels and now it offers full menstrual health and hygiene solutions movement and the leading manufacturer of reusable pads.
Although they seem like basic necessities, the debate around provision of free sanitary towels to school-age girls and poor women, has previously been used as a presidential campaign pledge to woo voters whose girl-children have dropped out of school due to inability to manage menstrual hygiene during their periods, because of the cost of accessing them.
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