WEpads stands for strengthening the independence of women in Africa Currently about 1/3 of the schoolgirls in South Africa have a considerable disadvantage in education because they cannot go to school during their period. The reason for this is obvious: there is simply no money and no access to feminine hygiene products. This problem is called "period poverty". We learned about this problem during an excursion to South Africa with the Bergische Universität Wuppertal.
We asked ourselves the question: “What would our life look like today if we had not been able to participate in 25% of our school time?”
It became clear to us: We would like to change this and we want to do so within the framework of Enactus Wuppertal
Our vision is to fight "Period Poverty" in Africa.
We believe that education about menstruation, hygiene and the female body as well as the provision of inexpensive products are essential factors.
After initial experience with our own prototypes, we found that this global problem can be solved best with a strong network.
Together with our partners in South Africa we are working on a sustainable long-term solution.
We are currently testing 2 possibilities.
1. Reusable cloth sanitary pads in cooperation with Palesa Pads, a company stated in Johannesburg that pursues the same goals as we do. We are currently conducting a trial run with a school in Cape Town to see if the cloth pads are a good solution for the schoolgirls.
2.
Low-cost, biodegradable sanitary pads based on the success story from India and in cooperation with
Arunachalam Muruganantham. His invention of a simple machine to produce these pads became known in the film
"Period. End of Sentence.". If we manage to implement this technology in South Africa, we can provide a cost effective and ecological solution.
In order to further explore and implement both possibilities, we need seed capital. If you also want to help the girls and women in South Africa, we are very happy about your support!
Our cooperation partners:
