Posts in Period Poverty
Dudu Tsobane

I grew up in the streets of Soweto raised by a single parent (my mother). Growing up was never easy, but I was always determined to make my parents proud and to become someone that would someday inspire the kids in my community. I have always been a big dreamer and a visionary. I’ve always believed I was destined for greatness. I did not have it all as a child - it was a struggle as my mom was unemployed and we had zero income in our household. I used to wear torn school shoes, and when I started getting my period, my mom could not afford to buy me sanitary pads so I used clothes as a substitute so I could go to school and not miss my classes. That made me have low self-confidence as I could not play with my friends and enjoy school on those days, but not even that [experience] could get me to lose my focus, instead it propelled me to dream bigger. I made a vow to myself that I will help as many girls who are underprivileged, so they do not have to experience what I went through as a young girl.

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Mwanaidi Mwilima

For at least 3-6 days every month, a young girl somewhere in rural Tanzania misses school. Lack of proper sanitary towels is a key hindrance to accessing quality education. I realized the challenges during one of my trips to Monduli (one of the rural areas) in Tanzania. And now, I have started manufacturing re-usable pads.

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