Thanks to the donation by Wilde Ganzen and many individual donors from the Netherlands we have founded a Social Enterprise for Reusable Hygiene Products under the name Haftey Dignity Initiative. Women and girls who use unhygienic alternatives for sanitary pads not only face health issues but also miss school and the freedom to work and play even out of school. Indeed, most girls in rural Ethiopia do not use adequate female hygiene products and have very limited access to WASH facilities to keep themselves hygienic at the time of menstruation. This lack of use negatively affects their self-esteem and participation in education and development and ultimately, in society.
As a small-scale enterprise we respond by developing low-cost methods of sanitary pad production coupled with innovative models for distribution and marketing. In this business model women are supposed to be included in all the value chain as entrepreneur, producer, distributor, promoter and consumers as well. This business is aiming to address the gap of sanitary pad product accessibility with in semi urban and rural areas.