Homemade Reusable Sanitary Pads - Uganda
by Hadijah Nnakiruuta - 2019 Graduate
page developed by Caitlin Rose, ARI Graduate Outreach remote Volunteer
submitted December 2020
"Happy Pads"
List of materials & steps for making written below
One of the challenges for school girls in Uganda is that they often miss classes during their menstrual cycle. This may cause them to fall behind in their studies or even drop out. Hadijah is working with the SORAK Development Agency (her Sending Body to ARI) on an initiative to teach girls how to make their own reusable pads. Each girl is provided with enough materials to make her own and the pads can be used for a year or more. Disposable pads are not easy to get because they are expensive and the stores that sell them are far away.
https://gyazo.com/0e80f65d03cd1ee765c4e95496a5a050
Hadijah (left) is helping to prepare the materials needed for making "Happy Pads"
Since 2017, SORAK has connected with 3 schools per year, teaching about 30 girls in each school. They focus on getting to public schools where the students are generally from poorer families.
https://gyazo.com/e4487aef85c73a76473c8f336a229151 https://gyazo.com/76121b8cc10003230f96730c456dcff8
A teacher explains about "Happy Pads" / School girls showing off the pads they made!
This initiative also extends to women’s groups. Group members pay a small amount of money for the necessary materials and SORAK teaches them how to make the pads. In this way they hope to improve the lives of women in rural communities.
https://gyazo.com/210ffc5ad5aee0afa91e8a5286bedef8
Hadijah and other SORAK staff teaching girls how to make their own pads
Materials and Equipment Required
https://gyazo.com/45d138f28606fcaa1efbca35d3161d03
The fabric layers in a happy pad
Thread
Buttons
Stretcher material
Polyethene or Mackintosh (waterproof material)
Cotton flannel material
Cotton fabric (for absorption)
Needle or sewing machine
Pins
Scissors
Tape measure
Paper for sketching the design
Pencil or marker or chalk
Button pressing machine (if available)
Overlock machine for sewing around the edges (if available)
Steps
https://gyazo.com/94c3acafe83c788553964b2b1c22dd1b
A finished pad with a carrying case
On a piece of paper make an outline of the pad and cut it out
Use the paper cutout to mark the pattern on the materials
Cut out the materials
Arrange the cut pieces in the following order (top to bottom)
Stretcher material
Polyethene or Mackintosh
Cotton flannel material
Cotton fabric (for absorption)
Pin and sew together by hand or by machine
Cut holes for buttons
Sew buttons by hand or use a button pressing machine
Sew around edges with overlock machine (if available, or sew by hand)
https://gyazo.com/12a561d80af8be1a57d6e7cba898540f
Proud girls with the pads they made
Learn More!
Click here to see how 2018 Graduate, Veh, from Malawi connects with communities in her region about homemade reusable sanitary pads
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