Help me raise funds to buy reusable pads for girls in Zimbabwe. Your donations will go a long way.

My name is Tafadzwa Hove, in December I’m going back home to my home country Zimbabwe for the first time in over 10 years. As way of giving back to the community that raised me, with the help of my mother, I’ve identified an area that is rarely addressed. This issue surrounds the lack access to sanitary products (namely menstrual pads). Many girls in third world countries mainly those living in rural areas are at a great disadvantage. Unable to afford proper sanitary products, many girls and women turn to crude, improvised options such as old scrap clothing, pieces of foam mattress, toilet paper and leaves to manage their menstruation. All which are unhygienic, ineffective and uncomfortable.

Lack of proper menstrual products inhibits girls from attending school 4-5 days a month during their menstrual cycle and 1 in 10 schoolgirls in Africa skips or drops out of school due to the lack of proper menstrual products and sanitation. Many of those girls end up getting in to marriages at a young age due to the lack of education and consequentially limiting their ability to pursue their future careers and economic opportunities.

This initiative aims to provide reusable sanitary pads sourced from Kenya or Malawi, these pads are called AfriPads to at least 200+ girls. A deluxe kit contains 3 reusable pads that can last 12+ months (menstrual cycles), making them a cost effective and eco-friendly solution.