Pads For Periods

Designed for the girls of Melkhoutfontein in South Africa, ‘Pads For Periods’ is a project that aims to bring Sanitary Products to those without access to them through the utilisation of waste materials. 1 in 10 African school girls miss school or drop out entirely due to a lack of access to sanitary products. It was important to me to come up with a solution that would provide the girls with sanitary products, keep them in school and be feasible in the long term.

‘Pads For Periods’ hopes to tackle the lack of sanitary products by teaching girls how to create pads from previously considered waste materials. Working in association with the Dreamcatcher Foundation to find out which waste materials and equipment are available to the Melkhoutfontein community, I created a sanitary pad made from 'waste materials' such as egg cartons, crisps packets and fabrics scraps. I then produced a set of instructions and stencils so that the girls could produce their own sanitary towels.