Project Dignity

Natasha Annie Wilknson is a Malawian self-confident, dedicated and passionate, child, women’s rights, gender and environmental activist.With excellent ability to remain calm even under extreme pressure. Possesses excellent communication skills and is able to relate to a wide range of people in a problem solving situations. Natasha enjoys learning new things and articulate confidence in participation. Her strengths are research work and her real life experiences. Her mission is to make sure that no girl drops out of school due to menstruation or lack of appropriate underwear and sanitary napkins. She is also keen in protecting the environment hence her innovation of Eco-friendly reusable organic bamboo sanitary products dubbed MAFT’S reusable sanitary napkins,underwear and Diapers which are 100% biodegradable. She champions for girl child education  in Malawi; conducts outreach programmes in both primary and secondary school  in rural areas across the country to sentitive girls against child and early marriages.

Environmental sustainability and keeping marginalized girls in school. 

Disposable sanitary pads and diapers are dangerous to human health and environment. When combined, plastics, glasses and disposable sanitary products they are 100% contributing to environmental degradation. It is estimated that during her life time a woman would dispose about 16,800 pads and so are the diapers being disposed every day. About 65% of women and girls in Malawi cannot afford sanitary pads. Evidence suggests that the period around puberty is one in which many girls drop out of school or are absent from school. This means that over 1 million girls miss 90 days of a school year and women miss valuable work hour. By choosing to use natural menstrual products like our organic Bamboo Eco- friendly reusable washables napkins, you are doing your part to help the environment and at the same time keep marginalised girls in school. 

The most important global challenge facing Malawi today is breaking the grip of poverty. The social situation is characterized by growing number of HIV/AIDS orphans, unemployment among the youth, child labour, abuse and violence, human trafficking, maternal deaths and environmental degradation.About 65% of women and girls in Malawi cannot afford sanitary pads. Evidence suggests that the period around puberty is one in which many girls drop out of school or are absent from school for significant periods of time. Menstruation causes Malawian adolescent girls to lose an average of 7days of learning days per month. Limited access to safe, affordable, convenient and culturally appropriate methods for dealing with menstruation discomforts has far reaching implications for rights and physical, social and mental well-being of many adolescent girls in Malawi and other developing countries as well. It undermines their well-being and has been shown to restrict access to education.

Addressing menstrual mismanagement removes a large barrier to accessing the fundamental right of education and should be considered a priority in the development of education policy. The benefits of girls being kept in school are many‐fold and are not limited to prevention of early pregnancy, increased capacity for self‐determination and increased employability.

Dignity Project advocates for bamboo reusable washable sanitary towels to keep girls in school and contribute to environmental sustainability by switching girls, women and babies from disposable to reusable sanitary napkins hence fighting climate change. The eco-friendly organic bamboo reusable sanitary pads are freely distributed to identified marginalized girls and same are provided to women living in dire poverty so they don’t miss on hours of work. The provision of the innovation hugely motivates girls to stay in school, this helps combat child and early marriages, gender based violence among other challenges.

Process&Technology: The pulp is extracted from the plant culms. Opening and loosening of the bamboo structure is one of the key factors leading to successful fiber extraction. The procedure involves a series of chemical processes including soaking, boiling, washing and softening. Mostly mild alkaline solutions like sodium carbonate is commonly used for this purpose since alkalis help break the pectin’s in the ribbons without attacking the cellulose in the fibers. Once the fibers are extracted they are taken through the sanitary pad making procedure. The fibers are weighed and pressed in a mold which is then sealed with a nonwoven fabric. The pad is then sterilized and parked

Project Dignity is a social enterprise of manufacturing and selling eco-friendly bamboo organic reusable sanitary pads, diapers and underwear. The business aims to provide an accessible, appropriate and affordable way for marginalized school going girls and women to manage their menstruation with dignity and improve their health well-being. The product is introduced to marginalized communities coupled with, awareness, advocacy and menstrual health education in an attempt to break the taboos and myths surrounding menstruation, it also aims at keeping marginalized girls in school through the provision of free reusable sanitary pads hence fighting environmental degradation. 

Project and the product empowers the girls and women in Marginalized rural communities in Malawi  economically by supporting the creation of a social businesses for producing  and selling reusable sanitary pads using locally available materials from local bamboo farmers. Since 2013, business, health and community outreach campaigns and seminars have been conducted in rural community’s to give them knowledge on menstrual health and how to run a successful, sustainable business. They also receive sewing trainings and machines, with the combined knowledge and skills from all of these trainings, they raise awareness regarding menstruation and women’s health within their communities while successfully selling their hygienic products

Elevating opportunities for all people, especially those who are traditionally left behind.

The dimension above relates to the project am executing. Most girls and women in Africa lags behind social progress due to traditional cultural and religious norms and beliefs. Most girls who are married early are victims of religious and cultural beliefs and traditions, so the projects fights against traditional and religious malpractices. 

The idea largely came from a personal experience. I lost my father when I was aged 14 and my mother being unemployed, we moved to the village where to face a life of absolute poverty.  During my puberty I faced a lot of challenges in acquiring menstrual sanitary napkins including underwear due to lack of financial support. In the process i noted that apart from me there were a lot of other marginalized girls and women equally facing same challenges. I faced a lot of absenteeism at school impacting negatively on my academic progress. In the bigger picture many more girls in similar circumstances were facing such circumstances, resulting in the following;

• School drop out
• Sexual exploitation
• HIV/AIDS
• Child and early marriages
• Gender based violence
• Early and unwanted pregnancies
• Unsafe abortions
• Mortality and morbidity rates
• Maternal deaths 

I fell victim to some such circumstances namely, early marriage, early pregnancy and gender based violence. After years of endurance I finally broke free from my abusive marriage and went back to school. To support my studies and my livelihood I was working on two jobs. With this experience I realized that this is a global girl child challenge

The motivating factor that drives me to be passionate about the project is my real life experiences and the global numbers of marginalized girl child challenges that are on the increase, in Malawi alone 1-million adolescent girls miss classes every month due to lack of sanitary pads. Today, out of the 132 million girls worldwide who are out of school including 52 million in Sub-Saharan Africa alone—16 million will never set foot in a classroom. 

I know exactly what it means to be marginalized, at risk and vulnerable. I know the consequences of dropping out of school and consequences of child and early marriages. Another motivating factor is a shocking look at how the use of disposable sanitary pads, and diapers negatively affect our environment because they pollute the environment and do not biodegrade. The above factors inspired me to innovate an innovation that will both keep girls in school and fight environmental degradation.

My real life experience and am very passionate about liberating a girl child and fighting environmental degradation caused by disposable sanitary napkins, not just here in Malawi by eventually globally.This is why i did not just sit back and wait to hear if someone has brought a solution to solve this global challenge ,NO. I sat down and found a solution which could both keep girls in school and at the same time fight environmental degradation.  I innovated Eco friendly organic bamboo reusable washable sanitary  I napkins and diapers which are 100% biodegradable Dubbed “MAFT’s Reusable Washable Diapers, Napkins and Panties” which in the process contribute to environmental sustainability as opposed to disposable sanitary pads which are hazardous to human health, pollutes our environment because of harmful chemicals such as Dioxin and they do not biodegrade.

Looking back at my upbringing and contemporary circumstances, i fell victim. After years of endurance I finally broke free from my abusive marriage and went back to school. To support my studies and my livelihood I was working on two jobs. Having completed my secondary school I went to college to study Fashion Designing because of my passion for creativity. I then founded a community based organisation which today has grown into a national registered NGO called Mama Africa Foundation Trust through which the project is being executed. I was a finalist for Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel Innovations awards, and the project also won an international award in 2016
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Iam a victim of schooldropout, early pregnancy and marriage and gender based violence, for some girls in the rural areas and across the globe this would mean their fate and end of their future they would never see their life beyond this. I refused to accept the fact that this was going to be my life forever, i decided to divorce my abusive husband regardless of the fact that i was peniless and jobless, I started working two jobs and enrolled in college to study Fashion Designing and Tailoring. After finishing college i started a small Tailoring business, then I thought of doing something to liberate my fellows marginalized girls living in dire poverty, though i didn't have any financial support, i registered a community based organization, that later on turned into a National NGO that through which the project Dignity is being executed, The project we identified about 1 million girls and rescued some who were child brides and sent back some to school.

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 At age of 19, Natasha established a community based organization focusing on child, women rights and empowerment. Since then, has gained 14 years’ experience in community based outreach programmes and activism. 

Inspired by her real life experiences, Natasha initiated and conducted research study whose objectives were;
1. To establish the effects of menstruation and lack of sanitary pads on girls education.
2. To determine cultural and other barriers to girl child education
3. Establish reasons that force girls to drop out of school and into early & child marriages. 
4. Awareness and knowledge about menstruation;
5. Supply of menstrual protection materials;
6. Provision of physical WASH infrastructure in schools; and
7. Policy direction.
8. Came up with comprehensive solutions to overcome barriers to girl child’s access to education and promote girls’ retention in  school thereby;
• Fighting child and early marriages, promote gender equality hence contributing to almost all of the sustainable development goals 2030

The project is part of a larger organization called Mama Africa Foundation Trust. I am the Founder and Executive Director of the Trust. 

The innovation will liberate marginalized girls and women, by providing Eco friendly, cost effective, durable, biodegradable sanitary pads, diapers and underwear it keep the girls in school, promotes women’s economic development and contribute 100% to Environmental sustainability hence Fighting Climate Change. Our bamboo Reusable Sanitary Products addresses the current global challenge of landfills and lack of appropriate waste management services thereby protecting our environment from pollution as these disposable sanitary products which end in oceans where they pollute, airways, waterways and the environment.

1. Girls Retention in school: The provision of free Maft’s reusable pads hugely motivates girls to stay in school and those who dropped out of school returned, this will help combat child and early marriages, gender based violence among other challenges.

2. Social Economic Development: by keeping girls in school with Maft’s sanitary products they will complete their education cycle and become economically independent, hence promoting gender equality. 

3. Health and hygiene: Maft’s pads promotes menstrual hygiene and help girls from being sexually exploited and this will contribute to zero new HIV/Aids infections Campaign among the youth.

4. Population: By keeping girls in school we will delay their sexual debut there by having children by choice and not by circumstances. 
These re-usable are durable sustainable and cost effective: replaced every five years. Compare this to the disposable that has a lifespan of a few hours before it's thrown away, forcing you to buy more and more -- all of them ending up in a landfill

When pads are not available, women and girls used rags, old cloths and cow-dung. The schoolgirls interviewed described menstruation as a time of anxiety and discomfort especially at school, leading to low concentration in class absent-seem and school drop-out altogether (UNICEF)

This innovation and development of bamboo sanitary pad from locally available bamboo plant would offer marginalized schoolgirls and young women with a quality and affordable sanitary protection option. The girl’s education and overall academic performance, which is threatened by persistent monthly drop outs owing to lack of affordable sanitary protection will be secured  
This innovation would also eliminate the menace left by the non-biodegradable commercial pads on landfills and oceans.  The Production of the bamboo based sanitary pad would also lead to creation of employment opportunities to the youth, women and economy growth of bamboo farmers. The production of this innovation will protect our waterways and oceans, thereby promoting both life on land and on water, health and well-being , gender equality, equal opportunities for both girls and boys and 100% save our environment if replicated on a large scale
Girls Retention in school: The provision of free Maft’s reusable pads hugely motivates girls to stay in school and those who dropped out of school returned, this will help combat child and early marriages, gender based violence among other challenges.
Social Economic Development: by keeping girls in school with sanitary products they will complete their education cycle and become economically independent, hence promoting gender equality
Health and hygiene: these pads promotes menstrual hygiene and help girls from being sexually exploited and this will contribute to zero new HIV/Aids infections Campaign among the youth.
Population: By keeping girls in school we will delay their sexual debut there by having children by choice and not by circumstances. This will also contribute to the safe motherhood campaign and reduce cases of Fistula, maternal deaths, child mortality and morbidity rates.

Since the project was launched on a national level in 2015 Natasha has campaigned for girl, and women rights in Malawi and she is a girl child education champion; through the Trust she has conducted 1325 outreach programmes in both primary and secondary school  in rural areas to sensitive girls against early marriages, school dropout, (sexual reproductive health education) career talks  and HIV /AIDS , and also campaigning for the switch from the use of disposable sanitary towels. In these activities, she involves traditional and religious and political leaders, parents, men/boys and teachers and other stake-holders. 

 Over 1 million girls and women were reached across the country during the campaign and the campaign is ongoing. Under the project, she designed reusable Diapers, underwear, and Eco-Friendly bamboo reusable washable napkins to make sure that girls do not miss classes during menstruation and do not drop out of school due to lack of appropriate underwear and sanitary napkins. To date we so far managed to identify over 1million marginalized school going girls and women living in dire poverty also managed to rescue 2000 marginalized girls across the country, most of which were child brides and the project has managed to send 756 back to school as beneficiaries of the project.

The projects intends to reach out to Nine hundred thousand marginalized women and girls in a year and there by reaching out to about four million five hundred thousand and more girls and women in the next 5 years

’ Since the challenges of environmental degradation through the use of disposable sanitary products, and also cases of early and child marriages and inequalities are a global catastrophe. The mission for this project is to partner with both local and international stakeholders to launch a global campaign called BLEED GREEN (or Bleed with pride) to advocate and raise awareness, civic educate men and women globally on the dangers of using disposable napkins and diapers, and eventually switch both girls, women and babies globally from using disposable sanitary products and diapers.. 
The project also aims at introducing reusable sanitary napkins as an alternative that will replace disposable sanitary products and diapers to keep girls in school and fight climate change hence protecting our environment in 5 years thereby reaching out to millions of girls, women and babies.
in 5 years project dignity will move to Zambia our neighboring country to replicate the venture to reach out to millions of marginalized girls and women to create a huge impact.’’ for this project to scale up it will need corroborative efforts we will partner with a lot of organizations who are also working tirelessly to liberate a girl child and empower women economically. This project will encourage a lot of farmers to grow bamboo trees. This will also boost soil fertility thereby protection our environment.  The project will also train young girls and women in sewing/tailoring and sexual reproductive health sessions and encourage them to start small social enterprises to boost their economies.

Some cultural and religious malpractices and beliefs makes it very hard to break the silence concerning menstruation. Inferior complex and unsupportive from some men in  catchment areas
 Apparently there’s no menstrual hygiene bill in Malawi and this also comes as a barrier as some stakeholders do not take the issue of menstruation as an issue which affects girls academic performance, social and developmental progress globally. 

At the moment disposable sanitary pads are the ones readily available on the market in all pharmacies and saloons supermarket and you hardly find reusable diapers nor pads in the stores. 
For the project to scale up we need a financial muscle, our capital at the moment only allows us to reach out to a couple of communities. There are some communities due to myths, taboos and cultural and religious beliefs we have a very big problem operating as some believe that it’s an abomination to talk about issues concerning menstruation in public.

Financial muscle: the project has won one best business practice and a grant we are still applying for those and we have a couple angel investors. We are speaking to a few more investors. We also have some revenue from the pads we are making currently with this we will continue to work tirelessly to scale the business model for a sustainable impact
 Cultural norms: We will continue with advocacy and awareness campaigns
Menstrual hygiene bill: we plan to present a menstrual hygiene management bill to parliament so they can approve this policy. This will make the government to subsidies the reusable sanitary towels so that these towels should be given freely to both marginalized girls in primary and secondary school and to women leaving in dire poverty. The same will be sold to women in urban areas at a cheaper cost thereby reaching out to millions of women.
Stakeholders: we will host conferences to civic educate them on the importance of supporting girl’s education by providing them with menstrual kits and the dangers of disposable sanitary towels.
Availability of the product: We will patent the product and make sure that it’s available in all leading stores at a reasonable price pursue the government to subside the innovation so that they can be distributed freely to marginalized adolescent school girls and keep them in school and same be given women living in dire poverty in rural areas, while others be sold at an affordable price

We signed a memorundum of understanding with the government through the ministry of Gender, Children, Women, Disability and Social welfare 

They help us with 

Policy Guidance 

Capacity Building and Networking