Reusable sustainable pads: Scholar's initiative to achieve menstrual equity

Dr. Maureen Adoyo, a health science faculty member at Rongo University holds shredded pieces of bagasse, a sugarcane by-product which is used in making sanitary towels. She says sugarcane waste is highly absorbent and hence used to make disposable sanitary towels that disintegrate in the environment within one month. [Anne Atieno, Standard]

In the heart of Rongo University, a beacon of change shines brightly, illuminating the path to menstrual equity. Meet Dr Maureen Adoyo, 43, a mother and lecturer whose compassion knows no bounds.

Moved by the plight of girls missing school due to a lack of menstrual hygiene products, she embarked on a journey to revolutionise their lives.

Her office is littered with packets of sanitary pads, each containing three pieces.

It is loudly evident that Dr Maureen is that as a menstrual hygiene advocate, the scholar is on a mission to keep girls in school while protecting the environment through her ambitious initiative.

“It was in 2020 around COVID-19 times, with a group of students we visited a school here in Migori County. It was our normal duty, to go to various schools and collect information about which school where girls are well represented. We used to do this covering on couple of schools and do our records because I lecture information science students,” Dr. Maureen starts.

“We found out in one of the schools, enrollment of girls and boys were equal in the lower primary but in advanced primary, a drastic drop of girls was noted - more boys than girls recorded and this was so discouraging. A big question was in my mind together with my students, why was this happening? We did our research and came to learn, that girls were temporarily out of school for some days because they were lacking sanitary towels. So period poverty was the issue,” she reveals.

In Kenya, data shows that 65 percent of women lack access to menstrual products, with one million school girls missing out each month because they cannot afford sanitary pads while some share used ones.

This data resonates with a survey done by Proctor and Gamble together with Heart Education, which found that 42 percent of Kenyan school girls have never used sanitary towels. Instead, they resort to rags, blankets, pieces of mattress, tissue papers, and cotton wool.

Inspired by the heartbreaking reality of girls missing school days due to lack of access to proper hygiene products. This is what inspired Dr Maureen to embark on her green and sustainable journey.

“When period poverty exists between girls this is where early pregnancies and transmission of Sexual Infections come in, in the sense that girls could engage in the transactional sex with Boda Boda guys to buy pads, perfumes, and other stuff that could make them clean during this menstrual days. You understand when a girl is pregnant she cannot keep up with the demands of school and what follows is just dropping out,” Dr Maureen states.

“I remember I had visited a place in Uganda before and people were making pads using their clothes, so I called a friend there to tell me what they were doing. He did so and we settled at making reusable pads to silence period poverty in Migori county and beyond,” She adds.

“Driven by humanity and heart to help the community, I talked to the administration in the school I’m lecturing to give me their production unit so that I can use make these pads. They supported this initiative and finally started mending reusable towels almost what Uganda people were making. And we were out there giving to girls in school and students we were able to reach at fast, “Dr. Maureen, who is also the founder of an organisation called Aqua Fem, says.

“Our sanitary towels are made through locally made materials. We always get textiles from Thika and Rivertex readily available. We put in our production unit and labour people are there to help this. These reusable pads are made of cotton with a protective shield at the top, absorbent/cotton for comfortability, and a clip line that acts as waterproof. They are inexpensive materials and I can say, we don’t face high production costs”.

Her ingenious creations, coupled by the relieve to thousands of girls within Migori, has made her a popular figure, almost a star, with leaders from across the board noticing her.

“Generally, good things, good projects are known, within a short period leaders and politicians in Migori County to be specific learned I had come up with this Aqua Fem project and they bought a large number of sanitary towels, sponsored girls distributing it to various schools which created a fast game changer”.

She also pushes Kenyan communities to embrace reusable pads.

“Reusable pads I can say, when it comes to comparison with sanitary towels we always buy in shops, I can encourage people to shift to reusable ones because since I started this project in 2020 I have been receiving positive responses from girls and women who have benefitted from it, “.

A December 2018 study by the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees ( UNHCR), revealed a high preference for reusable towels compared to disposable ones. The study showed that 84% of girls preferred reusable pads over disposable ones while 8% preferred the combination of both.

“They are affordable because you will only need Ksh750 to get one packet which has three pieces inside and you know what, purchasing 2 packets can take you one year and more especially for those people who are clean. When it comes to artificial pads we buy in our shops, one packet costs Ksh 80 to - Ksh 90 and when you multiply by 12 months in a year believe me this is why a good number of girls find it hard to afford,” she says, with a ditto to the environmental benefits of the pads.

“Reusable pads are also environmentally friendly. A person who is carefree bout the environment will go for reusable towels because if you have ever come across a dumping site, pads and diapers are major waste you will find alone,”.

According to USAID, approximately 28,114 tonnes of waste is generated annually from menstrual products from the American People; and 26, 903 tonnes from disposal products of which above 4% (3, 363 tonnes is lost in the environment by a flush).

A guide on menstrual hygiene by UNICEF says training in good user practice, provision of soap, underwear, and storage bags availability of private places for washing and drying are all key in ensuring menstrual hygiene and equity.