Start Her in Health Initiative
2025
WildHearts – Business for Good
Menstrual Health, Education, Women’s Empowerment
This project empowers schoolgirls by providing reusable sanitary pads and menstrual health education, ensuring that period poverty is not a barrier to their education. Grade cohorts were selected in 4 target schools for girls between ages 13 and 18 years of age.
Amount awarded by LIFSA :
R160,000.00
Number of direct beneficiaries :
889
The initiative manufacture and distribute eco-friendly reusable sanitary pads to girls in low-income communities. To maximise impact, the project included educational workshops for both girls and boys to de-stigmatise menstruation and promote hygiene. Additionally, it creates meaningful 2 employment for local women who manufacture the pads in dedicated factories. 840 girls were directly supported through the total LIFSA donation, as well as 2 new female entrepreneurs in Gauteng, 7 female entrepreneurs in Mpumalanga and at least 50 male youth at the target schools (awareness raising to de-stigmatize menstrual health and hygiene). As a result of this intervention, girls (target beneficiaries) stay in school for an average of 3.2 additional days per month, which equates to nearly half a year of extra learning over their educational lifetime. The project successfully expanded its reach by establishing two new production lines in Gauteng and supporting the training of 2 women entrepreneurs and apprentices.