Heels4Pads Foundation ‘Adopt A Dispenser’ Pad Project launched in Dagoretti Special School » Capital News

Nairobi, Kenya May 30- Heels4Pads Foundation ‘Adopt A Dispenser’ Pad Project has been launched at Dagoretti special school.

The project was launched in partnership with Ari Pad Dispenser which is sponsored by Cigna – a global health service company- during its third-year anniversary.       

Heels4Pads Foundation in partnership with Cigna donated a digital pads dispenser to the school that will cover each menstruating girl with pads for 3 years and each girl can access pads using a unique individual identification card.

“The card dubbed ‘confidence card’ has a unique ID that collects data on uptake of pads for each student. For example, if a girl has a heavier flow and twelve pads is not enough, we will be able to customize that,” Munira Twahir, Founder and process innovator of Ari Dispenser said at the weekend during the launch.

According to Edward Macharia, the headteacher, Dagoretti Special School has 160 special needs students, 96 of them being girls.

Macharia said, Dagoretti Special School has faced several challenges before Heels4Pads came through to provide easy access to menstrual products for their girls.

“Actually, I’m amazed that we can have such technology created by a girl, I didn’t know girls are that innovative. Thank you so much for remembering us. These girls really have problems, because most parents have financial problems to the extent where buying sanitary towels is a problem,” Macharia told Capital News.

 Margret Wambui, a vocational teacher said, oftentimes special needs schools are overlooked when it comes to the distribution of essential resources, which include sanitary towels.

“We have been given enough for the girls here and those that will come. Thank you so much for considering our school, we are mostly not remembered. We feel honored and we are very grateful,” said Wambui.

Heels4Pads initiative founded by Monicah Muhoya, Angela Waweru and Angela Muiruri is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) campaign under Sister Speaks Global.

The initiative aims to raise and amplify awareness on period poverty, while empowering women and girls to advance gender equality and equity through the menstrual health approach.

Joan Gitau,  a Cigna Community Ambassador Fellow said, the idea of launching a pads dispenser for special needs children was inspired by the fact that most attention goes to the slum areas, while special needs children get left behind.

“I have noticed that most times donor support goes to slum areas, while the world forgets that there is a special and marginalized group of girls with special needs,” Gitau said.

Heels4Pads Foundation in partnership with CIGNA is developing a project that will help alleviate period poverty and empower caregivers and parents with special needs and diverse disabilities economically. 

Owing to the fact most of the Menstrual Hygiene Management programs alienate girls and women with special needs. The program also aims to provide tailoring skills through training on how to create menstrual health dignity kits, mainly reusable pads and waterproof bags that hold the content of the kits, which include feminine supplies such as underwear and soap. 

The creation of reusable products is also aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 13 as the conversation of green periods is linked to climate justice and environmental consciousness further reducing the disposable products often used to manage periods.