Menstrual Hygiene (Reproductive Health)
At SAWA SAWA, we are deeply committed to not only empowering women through sustainable craftsmanship but also ensuring that the next generation of girls has the opportunity to thrive. Our secondary mission is clear: to keep girls in school, providing them with the dignity, safety, and education they deserve.
Menstrual hygiene resources and education are of grave importance in this mission. In Kenya, 65% of girls cannot afford menstrual care, forcing them to miss school for one week every month. This gap sets them back academically, often leading to eventual dropouts. Without the same opportunities as boys their age, these young girls are at a severe disadvantage.
In many communities, once girls drop out of school, they are considered mature and often married off in exchange for cattle dowries. This puts them in vulnerable positions as young mothers, facing elevated health risks and limited opportunities to escape poverty.
How We’re Creating Change
We partner with schools and community leaders in our artisan villages to provide reproductive health resources and develop a curriculum that teaches girls about the changes their bodies will undergo through puberty and adolescence. With this knowledge, they are prepared, confident, and able to stay in school. This not only helps them grow mentally, emotionally, and psychologically, but also gives them a chance to pursue higher education.
By equipping girls with menstrual hygiene resources and education, we give them more control over their future. Paired with the economic empowerment of their mothers, these young girls have choices—choices that lead to independence, social freedom, and the opportunity to become leaders in their communities.
Our Founders’ Commitment
Both of our founders, Anne and Catherine, are mothers of daughters. Catherine has three daughters, and Anne has one. Their personal investment in creating a world where girls can thrive, grow, and learn underlines every action we take at SAWA SAWA. Through their vision, we are working to achieve gender equality, educational empowerment, and a fairer society where girls are not forced into early motherhood or limited by poverty.
How You Can Help
Every purchase you make through SAWA SAWA directly contributes to our mission to provide menstrual hygiene resources, education, and empowerment for girls in Kenya. With your support, we are breaking the cycle of poverty and giving girls the chance to dream bigger, stay in school, and become the leaders of tomorrow.
Be Part of the Change
We need partners, grantors, and foundations to join us in this mission. By providing grants or donations, you can help us bring critical reproductive health resources and menstrual care to thousands of girls who are at risk of falling through the cracks. Together, we can ensure that no girl is left behind because of something as simple as a lack of menstrual hygiene products.
Future Partnerships: Contraception Access for Women
At SAWA SAWA, we are always looking ahead. To ensure that the women in our artisan villages have access to family planning resources, we are actively seeking partnerships with healthcare providers who can provide free contraception to women in these communities. Are you a healthcare provider interested in contributing to the well-being of women in Africa? We’d love to have a conversation with you. (Contact us button)
Spread the Love
Looking for another way to support this mission? Shop our Love Bracelet to spread love and help us fund our efforts to keep girls in school and empower women in Kenya. (Shop Love Bracelet)
Join Us in Empowering Girls for a Brighter Future
Together, we can make the world a better, more equitable place for girls. By providing menstrual hygiene resources, education, and reproductive health solutions, we are ensuring that girls in Kenya are not only staying in school but growing into empowered, educated, and independent women. We invite you to be part of this mission and help create lasting change for generations to come.
