Gender Equality Rwanda Project #48333

Pride No Shame - Affordable sanitary pads

by Friends of Humanity

Project Report | May 6, 2026
Progress Update: Scaling Sanitary Pad Production in Rwanda

By Tenzin Khando Kayta | Project Assistant

The first months of 2026 have been a period of transition and reflection for the Pride No Shame project. The focus has been clear: to reassess the current market landscape, strengthen strategic partnerships, and prepare for a more sustainable and scalable production model—while continuing to create employment opportunities for refugee women and keeping them at the heart of the project. Our objective is not to replace them, but to increase production while preserving and strengthening their roles.

Understanding the Market

During this quarter, we carried out in-depth research on sanitary products in Rwanda. This helped us better understand not only the demand, but also the real challenges people face.

What we found confirmed the relevance of the project:

There is a strong need for affordable, locally made sanitary products
Women prioritize comfort, quality, and price when choosing products
Awareness around adult incontinence remains very low
Access and education are just as important as the product itself

These insights make it clear that production must go hand in hand with access and education to be truly effective.

Building a Long-Term Partnership

Over the past few months, a key milestone has been the strengthening of our collaboration with the Rucci Legacy Foundation.

Together, we are working toward a shared vision: building a sustainable production model in Rwanda that can grow over time and create lasting impact.

This partnership will support:

The transition from manual to automated production
Exploration of locally sourced raw materials
The development of infrastructure, including land and space for a future factory

This is a major step forward. It allows the project to move from a small-scale initiative to something with real potential for long-term sustainability.

Organizational Restructuring

To prepare for this new phase, the organization made the decision to restructure its team.

Existing contracts were paused to allow recruitment of highly skilled talent aligned with future technical and operational needs. This process was handled carefully, in line with Rwandan labor regulations, and included appropriate compensation for the employees involved. As the project evolves, this transition is necessary to support a structure better suited for scaling.

Continuing Support – Messi

Even as the project evolves, our commitment to Messi, the son of one of our employees living with a severe spinal condition, remains unchanged, with continued support through medical care, nutrition, and social assistance.

We are encouraged to see steady progress:

Improvements in physical health
Better cognitive response and recognition
Increased mobility and early communication

These changes, although gradual, are meaningful. They reflect the impact that consistent care and attention can have over time.

Next Steps and Strategic Priorities

1. Giving a Second Life to Existing Equipment

Plans are underway to transfer the current production machine to the Ministry of Education through IPRC.

The goal is simple: instead of letting this equipment sit idle, it will be used to train students and support technical education. This contributes to building local skills and strengthens Rwanda’s manufacturing capacity.

2. Expanding into Education and Awareness

In parallel, the project will begin developing activities focused on menstrual health education.

This will include:

Using locally available sanitary pad materials as learning tools by providing products to some vulnerable people
Promoting awareness and education around menstruation
Building early community engagement aligned with the core project

This step is essential. Access to products alone is not enough—education and understanding are just as important.

3. Strengthening Support and Funding

The next phase of the project will require stronger engagement with partners and investors.

Efforts will focus on:

Identifying new funding opportunities
Deepening relationships with existing technical and strategic partners
Using existing project plans and budgets to support fundraising

At this stage, the priority is to secure the resources needed to move from planning to full implementation.

Conclusion

This period has not been about visible expansion, but about building the conditions for sustainable growth.

Meaningful progress has been made:

A clearer understanding of the current market
A strong strategic partnership
Internal restructuring aligned with future needs
Continued humanitarian support for those concerned

These efforts position Friends of Humanity and Pride No Shame to move confidently into the next phase of implementation, with a clear strategic direction and a solid basis for sustainable growth and long-term impact.

Links:

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Jan 9, 2026
Scaling Up the Production of Uzima Sanitary Pads

By Tenzin Khando Kayta | Project Assistant

Since 2022, Pride No Shame has distributed more than 1.15 million affordable, organic UZIMA sanitary pads to vulnerable women and girls in Rwanda, but current production capacity no longer meets demand. Scaling up is essential not only to strengthen access across Rwanda, but also to lay the foundation for a future expansion into Central Africa.

Friends of Humanity initiated the upgrade to a fully automated production facility in Rwanda. This upgrade is designed to increase production capacity while preserving and expanding employment for refugee women. Machines will complement—not replace—the workforce, ensuring that refugee women continue to hold meaningful roles in every stage of production. Between 20–30% of sanitary pads will be distributed free to refugee women and girls, while the remainder will be sold to cover costs, making the project financially sustainable and a replicable model of a socially and economically sustainable initiative.

Key objectives for the coming years:

– Expand production capacity with fully automated technology

– Prepare regional distribution across Central Africa

– Create new jobs, prioritizing refugee women

– Increase local sourcing of raw materials to reduce ecological impact from imports from Asia and support the local economy

FOH initiated formal discussions with sanitary pad machinery manufacturers in Italy and Scandinavia to identify a model that ensures biodegradable production, low electricity consumption, high product quality, and full compliance with Rwanda Standards Board requirements. Supplier assessments are currently underway, evaluating technical specifications, production capacity, and total cost of ownership.

A major milestone of 2025 was the consolidation of our partnership with the Rucci Legacy Foundation, a trusted local partner with strong government ties and specialized in healthcare, particularly for women and mothers. Together, we aim to transform our current small-scale, mostly artisanal production facility into a fully automated site, designed to increase production while maintaining and creating employment opportunities for refugee women. This collaboration will also enable expanded access to eco-friendly UZIMA sanitary pads across Central Africa and ensure that the project remains both a model for women’s empowerment and a socially and economically sustainable initiative.

The 2025 feasibility study identified an investment of over USD 5 million to implement a new production facility. The upgraded facility is projected to reach break-even in a short period of time.

Links:

https://friendsofhumanity.ch/

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Sep 16, 2025
Strategic Collaboration for Women's Health

By Palytsia Anna | Project Assistant

We are happy to announce that Friends of Humanity (FOH) has partnered with the Rucci Legacy Foundation (RLF). Together, we will expand the Pride No Shame (PNS) program to better support women and girls in Rwanda by improving access to organic and affordable sanitary pads. This collaboration builds on our shared commitment to women’s health, empowerment, and innovation in sanitary pad production.

As part of this partnership, we plan to replace the current manual production machine due to a lack of spare parts and to reduce the high costs of importing raw materials from India. FOH is actively working to expand sanitary pad production and explore opportunities to increase both capacity and quality.

At this stage, we are in discussions with European sanitary pad producers to learn from their expertise, explore potential collaborations, and identify the most suitable production machinery and high-quality raw materials. Through these conversations, we aim to gather the knowledge and resources necessary to make informed decisions that will strengthen the PNS program and better serve women and girls in Rwanda.

Currently, PNS employs seven staff members under contract. During this transition phase—which includes procurement of equipment, sourcing raw materials, and site preparation—the production team will visit schools and communities to create awareness on menstrual health and share importance of organic sanitary pads usage.

Messi

Pride No Shame continues to support Messi, the son of one of our employees, who is living with a severe spinal condition. We are pleased to share that with monthly nutritional support, Messi’s weight has increased to 16 kg, which is 4 kg more than before. After two hospital stays, physiotherapy sessions, and a period of recovery at home, Messi is feeling stronger and happier—just have a look at his progress!

The next step in Messi’s care will be a visit to King Faisal Hospital, the largest hospital in Rwanda, to explore the possibility of spinal surgery. We are hopeful that they will assess his condition and advise on potential surgical options.

In the meantime, Pride No Shame has purchased a wheelchair to help Messi and his grandmother with daily mobility and activities, ensuring he can move safely and comfortably.

We sincerely thank our dear donors for continued support. Your contributions make life-changing initiatives like Messi’s care possible. Please continue to donate and help us bring hope and dignity to more woman, children and families in need.

Links:

https://friendsofhumanity.ch/

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