Indigenous Batwa leaders are tackling an often neglected essential need in Burundi. A new initiative is taking shape in three indigenous communities, with the aim to enhance women and girls’ dignity, improve women’s health and girls’ participation in school, reduce stigma around women’s health, and create opportunities for vocational training. How is this possible? Through reusable sanitary napkins made by the community members themselves.
When women and girls lack access to proper products to manage their monthly cycle, it has a negative impact on their physical and mental health, and daily activities. It becomes difficult to stay in school, and continued absences lead to higher drop out rates for girls. Young women resort to using old cloth that can cause infection or other health issues. All of this can create internal shame that impacts relationships and overall family well-being.
Changemaker Evariste Ndikumana and his team are taking action to empower women with local solutions, and setting up a local infrastructure for it. By investing in sewing machines, fabrics, other necessary equipment, and specific training, a group of women (and a few men) in Mwendo village are now learning to make reusable sanitary pads.
Reusable pads have already been distributed to 500 girls and women so that their daily lives are not regularly disrupted. The initiative is also successfully creating space for open dialogue around menstruation to help reduce stigma and boost women’s confidence.
This pilot project can expand for lasting impact and reach more communities as further funding is available. African Road recognizes the good work of Evariste and his indigenous team ASSEJEBA to equip people with income-generating opportunities and thoughtful community-driven solutions, and to lift up women and girls in important, practical ways!