We're raising £125,000 to help girls in Malawi and Zambia stay in school, giving them a chance to realise their potential, and give their families a better future. Training local women to make and distribute free washable sanitary pads to their daughters and granddaughters develops transferable skills, which are embedded in communities.

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Story

Our approach to helping girls in rural central Africa to stay in school is innovative. We cascade skills and provide equipment to women in identified communities so that they can make school girls reusable, washable sanitary pads. This is unlike other projects that have a commercial basis, or give “one off” donations of pads. £7.70 provides a girl with pads that will last at least 2 more vital years.

Why do this?

All the evidence is that investing in girls’ education changes not only their world but also wider society’s. This project overcomes one barrier to accessing education and, at the same time, teaches sewing skills to local women in community initiatives.

“Educate them and empower them and keep them in school as long as you can and those women are the best agents of change. No question about it.”

Margaret Chan, Director-General, WHO: 2012-2017

How does it happen?

Since 2016 unpaid volunteers have helped to develop the pad design and run workshops training trainers who go on to cascade skills to more local women.

NPAC collects and sends everything needed to make the pads, from donated sewing machines to the specialised fabrics to needles and pins. Then the enthusiasm of local women takes over....

What about sustainability?

From the beginning we wanted to become redundant. We have strategies in place to retain local skills and commitment over time. Women are now making things to sell in markets, National Parks, shops and hotels but it will take time to make enough to replace, for example, the fabric that is used.

Our priorities over the next five years are to

• provide decent working conditions, for example, in Malamulo, Malawi, we have free land on secure premises on which to build a dedicated workroom, store and shop for about £12,000. For another £8,000 we can make it bigger and set it up as a training centre and centre of excellence.

• maintain the supply of specialised fabrics and those bought locally.

Why in those countries?

The projects developed from existing, trusted links in Malawi and Zambia, where we send general health and education aid. These are two of the poorest 10 countries in the world. Where we work is particularly disadvantaged with about 2/3 living off the land on less than a dollar a day.

In discussions with partners we were asked to share our approach.

Find out more on the NPAC Facebook page