Feminine Hygiene Products for the Female Orphans
Status: 
Step:
3
For many females, attending school during her menstrual cycle is not possible without feminine hygiene products such as sanitary napkins/pads. Disposable napkins are expensive.
Options for making reusable, cloth sanitary pads are available. We would like some input as well as assistance in finding the materials necessary to do this.
A copy of the pattern is provided in the resource section for this task.
Eric will be gathering information on local costs and available materials.
Basic supplies include:
Cotton (6 oz) or Flannel - 3 yards/8 pads - most females will require between 12-18 pads per month (varies)
Snaps or buttons
Thread
Needles for sewing
Paper for tracing the patterns
Barb
A pattern with information on how to make, care for, and use reusable sanitary napkins.
Hi Barb,
The site below provides really clear instructions on sewing the pads, together with step-by-step photos, which might be useful the first time the girls are making them:
http://www.tinybirdsorganics.com/organiccotton/clothpads.html
Also, if it can be sourced(?) it's worth trying fleece as the inner layer (next to the skin). Advantages over cotton are that it feels dry and doesn't stain (used in real nappies for the same reasons). See here for example:
http://www.minkinappies.co.uk/index.php?cPath=31_43&osCsid=854ab97b000a4...
Hope it's useful...
Sam.
Hi Barb
Came across this. Disposables rather than reusable, and not much detail, but thought I would post just in case you want to try contacting them.
from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/youropinions.php?opinionid=6219
Dated 13 Nov 2007
Their website is http://www.familiacare.org
Mary
Hello Sam and Mary,
Thank you for this information. Mary, I have sent off an email requesting information from this project. I will post once they respond.
Sam, the instructions are good and clear. This pattern does not have snaps that go around the underwear, so it is good to have both options available. Fleece is a good option as well. It depends on what is available locally.
Barb
Hello Everyone,
Eric provided a list of locally available resources:
1. Organic cotton Terry-not available
2. Organic Cotton Fleece - not available
3. Flannel - available at KShs. 150 per metre.
4. Paper for Tracing patterns - Available
5. Thread vailable- Big one at KShs. 80
6.Snaps and Buttons - Available
7. Needles- available
He is looking into regular cotton as well, so will have info on that.
Based on my quick assessment, a set of 24 pads (which is more than suggested, but better to have a few more) per female would require the following:
3 metres of fleece Ksh450 = about $6 CAD
Thread Ksh80 = about $1 CAD
24 snaps
1 needle
Tracing paper
Copy of instructions and care
I would estimate that $9 CAD should cover this
I will have to get numbers on how many females there are, but assuming 50% of the orphans (best guess??) that would be about 60 females - but not all would be of menstruating age yet. But, for an estimate, this would mean $540 is need for all the females. I will have to get more info from Eric to confirm this.
Let you know!
Barb
Hi Barb
A suggestion - may be a good idea for someone there to make a small number first so that they can test out how easy they are to make, to wash etc?
If they prove practical and can be made for relatively low cost, a lot of Nabuur villages may be interested in the idea.
Mary
Good idea Mary!
Always good to test first.
Barb
Hi...
This is my first time joining nabuur.com, This project have remind me of my mother and my grandmother used at their days a soft cloth cotton . The only question How could we provide this items not knowing the statistic number? and how?
Please need a reply
Hello Hasna!
Welcome to Kabondo!
To answer you question, Eric, the local representative ,does have the numbers, as he works in the community. I was just trying to get a very rough estimate of the cost. Eric can provide the exact number of females of menstruating age.
Barb
Hello Everyone,
Just a few more updates. Eric has looked into regular cotton. It is very inexpensive and readily available. An entire roll which should make enough for 1 girl, goes for 250Ksh, which is about 2.5 Euros or $3.66 CAD.
Eric indicated that people in the community are very interested in this, as well as making their own blankets, as it is unique and empowering.
Barb
Hello,
Just some updates.
Eric was contacted by a woman from the US that is interested in supplying Kabondo and other communities in the area, with cloth sanitary pads. We have been discussing back and forth and looking at how they could be distributed and what this would entail. The idea of having the females make their own still appeals to the community, so the initial idea is to have the girls try out these pre-made ones first and then decide if then let them decide if they would like to learn how to make their own. For many females that have been using disposable pads, there may be an adjustment time. In addition, since cloth pads require access to clean water, we need to make sure this is feasible. So, a test project would be good.
I have been putting together a sample as well and sewing one to see how easy the patterns are to use. So far so good! My hand sewing skills leave a bit to be desired, but they still seem to work!! :-D
Barb
Hi Barb
Thats great news!
Don't worry... I am terrible st sewing too!
Mary
Hi
Came across this:
Menstruation and Gender Disparities in Education
http://www.awid.org/go.php?stid=1493
"AWID interviews Shiphrah Gichaga of the Forum for African Women Educationalists Kenya Chapter (FAWEK) about the organization's work in addressing menstruation management to ensure that girls' education is not interrupted by their menstrual periods."
Includes awareness-raising, also production of reusable pads in Kenya. May be a good source of local info, possibly assistance.
Contact details are at http://www.fawe.org/nationalchapters/nc.kenya.asp
Sanitary protection in Africa is a bit of a bot topic on some blogs at the moment after an announcement that one of the main producers of Always disposable pads would be providing them free to women and girls in southern Africa....
http://www.shamelessmag.com/blog/2007/12/the-always-africa-campaign-the-...
http://www.redtentsisters.com/2007/12/always-africa-campaign.html
This one is interesting as they are talking about the idea of getting reusable pads to Africa, or making them locally
http://crunchychicken.blogspot.com/2008/02/using-your-sewing-skills-for-...
Donations (from info in the blogs)
http://www.donatepads.org
http://www.goods4girls.org/
Both appear to be fairly small. Second one is at a very early stage but looking for groups to work with. Wonder if either would be interested in the idea of supporting projects to make them locally rather than actually sending pads to them.
Although, from what you have posted, looks like you may have already solved the problem for Kabondo!!!
Mary
Hello Mary,
Lots of good information here!
Barb
Hi Everyone,
The organization that will be sending Kabondo cloth pads is Goods 4 Girls. They will be starting with 60 kits to cover all the girls that are under the Kabondo project. They will hopefully provide feedback and then decide from there.
As an aside, Goods 4 Girls got a mention on Discovery Channel's Planet Green website yesterday:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-community/dogooding/donate-new-reu...
We also heard from Kenya Revenue Authority that sanitary pads are duty, tariff and VAT exempt, which makes sending the items much easier.
Barb