During the summer of 2022, Sam and Christina, members of the Go Mad charity team, visited A Rocha Kenya for the first time. They were aware of the challenges girls are facing,including frequent school absences due to a lack of proper menstrual hygiene products. Collaborating with A Rocha Kenya’s Environmental Educational Officers(Queen and Lenar) they conducted educational sessions in schools focusing on menstrual health. Girls from Watamu and Dakatcha highlighted the issue of unaffordable sanitary products, impacting their school attendance and academic progress. This challenge resulted in some girl’s poor performance and school drop outs.
A seed of an idea.
Sam and Christina inspired by global initiatives, sought to provide reusable sanitary wear for school girls. Partnering with Queen and Lenar, they visited vocational-technical colleges where they shared expertise in sewing, utilizing materials like preloved towels, cotton sheets, and waterproof fabric (shower curtains) to create reusable pads. Their instructional workshop encouraged students to craft pads creatively, aiming to inspire future sewing businesses among girls and meet the demand for affordable menstrual solutions
Women were also not left behind. A local community group Queen had been collaborating with on a kitchen garden project though lacked the luxury of a classroom with sewing machines, they were keen to make to learn how to make the reusable pads with just a needle and a thread. Despite expecting around 10 participants, the turnout exceeded expectations, with over 40 women and a man attending. Materials were distributed, and participants eagerly began sewing. The sewing machine worked tirelessly as pads were completed one by one. Members shared stories of how these products could positively impact their daughters’ lives, recounting the efforts they undertook to obtain such essential items, often putting themselves at risk.
The seed was watered
Sam and Christina left Kenya with a strong desire to further aid the girls and women they had encountered. Upon returning to the UK, they shared their experiences and began producing more pads. Their narratives inspired increasing numbers of people to join the cause, prompting Christina to establish a sewing group in Wragby, Lincolnshire, and Sam to create a tribe in Sileby, Leicestershire. The groups met regularly and collaborated on cutting fabrics, sewing pads, and crafting pouches. While initially aimed at supporting Kenyan girls and women, these efforts also brought remarkable positive changes to the sewers’ lives, forming meaningful connections and becoming a cherished monthly highlight.
So Wezesha Dada – Empower Sister was born, not a charity or business but a group of like -minded people wanting to make a change. Starter packs were put together, so people could continue to sew at home. Social media groups set up, documenting the groups’ journey and details about meet ups. Sewers from all over the country and further afield wanted to get involved, so digital templates and instruction was sent out. Sewing groups and Women’s Institute groups joined in too. The number of participants was growing and the amount of pads produced too. Non sewers helped out by donating used towels, unwanted sheets and fabric. A local camping shop gifted waterproof tent material, all of these were seen as ‘waste’ materials but were given a new life and saved from landfill. .
The roots took hold
Sam and her husband Jay had booked a return trip to Watamu for the summer of 2023 and knew that their suitcases would contain, the 1500 plus reusable sanitary pads, fabric pouches and underwear that had been created and donated by the Wezesha Dada supporters.
On their Kenyan adventure, A Rocha supported Sam and Jay to deliver the pads to girls in the Watamu and Dakatcha area. Volunteers and attachment students assisted in putting together the packs, a pouch including four pads, soap and a pair of briefs.
Guided by Queen and Lenar, schools, colleges and community groups were identified and trips were made, out into the community. Two journeys to Dakatcha, saw the group visit a Primary and Secondary School, a return trip to the Technical College and a weekend trip to a community group meeting at a church. Another visit to Mkunguni Primary saw a total of over 400 girls and women benefit from the collaboration. The sessions gave an invaluable opportunity to talk ‘all things girls’ including some of the challenges they face, how they can be confident and resourceful to seek answers to some of these issues themselves and fundamentally to ‘be proud to be a girl’.
A tree begins to grow
Our hopes for the future is to see this project growing and going from strength to strength. We wish to continue and expand our sewing groups in the UK but know, simply providing pads is not the long-term solution. Our long term goal is to support local women in the Watamu and Dakatcha area to set up cooperatives, to sew the pads for a fair income. The pads could then be purchased and given out to school girls. We would also like to collaborate with other likeminded charities to share and learn from them.
We hope this work will have the impact of allowing more girls to continue with their education. While at school, they will hear A Rocha’s message of caring for their environment, forests and sea. As mothers of future generations this is extremely powerful. We also hope our project will cut down on plastic pollution, where girls are able to use disposable pads we are offering them a sustainable alternative. The pads have also put materials that could have ended up in landfill in the UK to great use.
The journey of the Wezesha Dada project can be followed on Instagram on @wezesha_dada_kenya