Freedom2Flow: Combating Period Poverty In Kenya

By: Nicole Peck

Throughout the whole world, many young women deal with an issue called “period poverty.”  Many girls cannot afford pads and other sanitary products, and to cope, they sometimes use dirty mattresses or cow dung.  Some girls drop out of school for fear of embarrassment.  Others sell themselves to earn money for pads or get pregnant, so they do not have to worry about their periods.  

To combat this problem, some friends and I created an organization called freedom2flow. In our international school located in Nairobi, Kenya we brought together a group of over 10 girls and boys dedicated to helping solve this issue. We began by raising awareness, highlighting the stories of Kenyan girls and sharing information. 

Through our instagram account @freedom2flow, we received an overwhelming response; seemingly overnight, people across the globe were spreading the word and sharing our posts. Next, my friends and I began partnering with PadMad, a local business that employs women who have endured trauma – some are widows, others survivors of sexual violence – and produces biodegradable, reusable pads made from local fabrics. This spring, my friends and I generated attention, including interest from international media, with our first fundraising campaign. 

We raised enough money to compile 550 kits, enough for three schools in rural Kenya. Each kit can last up to five years thanks to the pads’ reusability, so we hope the good they do will be long-lasting. The goal is that with these kits, girls don’t have to miss their education because of their period, instead they get empowered by their period and realize it's a sign of strength. 

This problem is not even close to being solved, this is a global issue happening all around us, yet not a lot of people know about this. That is why to this day we are continuing to spread awareness, we believe that once more people know about this issue, more people would want to help to solve it. 

That is why it is key to talk about it, so whatever you do after reading this blog, try to tell a friend about it. Simply by conversing about this issue more you make such a difference!