Pad Up

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"One in 10 girls in Africa miss school because they don’t have access to menstrual products, or because there aren’t safe, private toilets to use at school during their menstrual cycle. This means that they miss about 20% of their school year."

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The Pad Up campaign is a pad drive setup for teenage girls living in slums and low-income communities in Nigeria, the aim is to provide 6 months worth of sanitary pads to young girls who can not afford to purchase one during their menstrual cycle, due to financial incapacitation thereby reducing ‘Period Poverty’.

Period poverty is a global issue affecting those who don’t have access to the safe, hygienic menstrual products they need, and/or who are unable to manage their periods with dignity, sometimes due to community stigma and sanction.

It doesn’t just refer to those who have no access to menstrual products; in some cases, limited access to these products leads to prolonged use of the same tampons or pads, which can cause infection.

Approximately 1.2 billion women across the world do not have sufficient access to these menstruation sanitation products. This typically leads to unhygienic practices, like using rough newspapers or cloth napkins in place of pads. According to reports by UNICEF, one in 10 African girls miss school due to their periods. This is akin to about 20 percent of a school year.

Period poverty affects women, girls, and people who menstruate all over the world. Access to menstrual products, safe, hygienic spaces in which to use them, and the right to manage menstruation without shame or stigma, is essential for anyone who menstruates.

But for many, this is not a reality. This is not just a potential health risk – it can also mean that the girls’ education, well-being, and sometimes entire lives are affected.

Some Consequences of Period Poverty Can Include:

  • ⭐ Girls often miss one or more days of school during their periods, which negatively impacts their education. In Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, some girls will miss as much as 20% of their school year; some may drop out of school altogether. The loss of education can mean girls are more likely to be forced into child marriage.
  • ⭐ There are serious health risks when people are forced to use dirty rags which can cause infection. Risks can be greater if the women or girl has undergone female genital mutilation (FGM).
  • ⭐ Due to community stigma, some may feel persistent shame and fear during their periods,1 and in some cases face social sanctions

We Need You

We know that we can not do these all by ourselves, which is why we are reaching out to you for your support in executing the project, the plan is to distribute 6 months worth of sanitary pads to at least 50 teenage girls living in low income communities every quarter.

We do realize that there is no way for us to fully appreciate or pay you back for your support to the organization.

“If we don’t transform the world, who will? If not now, when? -Werner Erhard

We sincerely hope you help us, in transforming the world to a better place, for who else will benefit and make it happen but this emerging generation.

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