Mwanaidi Mwilima
What’s your cause/area of focus? Period Poverty
Tell us more. What have you been doing to help your cause so far?
For at least 3-6 days every month, a young girl somewhere in rural Tanzania misses school. Lack of proper sanitary towels is a key hindrance to accessing quality education. I realized the challenges during one of my trips to Monduli (one of the rural areas) in Tanzania. And now, I have started manufacturing re-usable pads.
My mission is to help young girls embrace menstruation/periods while empowering them to pursue education. In Tanzania, a lack of information in the community is a key contributor to stigmatization against menstruation/periods. This initiative includes conducting awareness campaigns among young girls in secondary schools as well as women in rural areas. I STRONGLY believe if a girl child is to succeed in life, we should put an end to period poverty.
Tell us about yourself. How did you become involved in your cause? What inspired you to begin living for change?
I am a 34-year-old lady who was privileged to get education from different parts of the world; I have had my fair share of travel as well. This has made me feel the need to give back to my community that may not be as privileged as I am.
After a lot of soul searching, one experience during a work trip gave me the direction to take and a starting point. I encountered a young girl who was unable to attend school due to her lacking adequate sanitary towels. This experience got me thinking and researching more on the extent of this issue and that is how I ended up starting a production line of reusable pads. Also, there is a cultural barrier to discussing period issues freely, which with my company we are trying to fight against. My main inspiration arises from the need to create a sustainable social impact and to be the change I want to see!
What have you been doing to spread the word and/or to help your cause so far?
In addition to providing period management products in Tanzania and out of Tanzania, we have been organizing educational conferences in schools and forming women’s groups to discuss menstrual hygiene and management. Our focus is girls and women in rural areas but we are also currently trying to find ways to make it more interactive and inclusive of boys and men in general to get the correct support.
How and when will you judge success? What’s your endpoint?
Our endpoint will be when we have succeeded, together with other stakeholders, in eradicating period poverty.
Complete this sentence: "I am #LivingForChange because..."
I want to BE the change I want to see!
Thoughts & opinions expressed herein remain the property of the interviewed persons and do not represent endorsement by GirlTable, its owners, directors, partners, subsidiaries and/or affiliates.