Ufulu is providing free menstrual cups to women and girls to Malawi, via educational workshops. We train local women to run the workshops in their villages or districts. 80% of females in Malawi do not have access to sanitary products. Many use cloth rags that are unhygienic and cause health issues. Girls are prevented from attending school and women from work, due to shame, discomfort and embarrassment caused by staining and leaks. Menstrual cups are reusable and last 10 years.
Period poverty is defined as "a lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints". This lack of access to sanitary products means girls miss school for one week a month and women feel unable to attend work due to shame and embarrassment. 90% of women Ufulu has spoken to, suffer from permanent nappy rash for 30-40 years of their lives, simply because they have no choice but to use unsuitable cloth rags when they have their periods.
The goal of Ufulu is to provide a Menstrual Health Management education programme (MHM) that improves the sanitary conditions of women and girls, eradicates the taboos around menstruation within communities; and promotes the need for increased feminine hygiene and safe sexual health management. Other objectives are to: Reduce school absenteeism of girls Increase the ability of women to work full time Reduce the number of teenage pregnancies due to the lack of menstrual awareness
Menstrual cups are still relatively new to many parts of the world, not least rural Africa. Our aim is to work with local women, for local women, and enable women to women empowerment. Regular ongoing contact via workshop facilitators, at a local level, is key to ensuring the successful continuation of the project. Through continued work with the above social groups Ufulu aims to: Increase the ability of women and girls to work and attend school Increase feminine health and hygiene
