"Menstruation has long been stigmatized, and PadHer strives to eradicate these long-held beliefs and misconceptions in a small but decisive way." —Chika Nwaogu
PadHer is a women-led non-profit organization. Our organization educates and mentors young African schoolgirls from underserved communities on periods, puberty, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) topics using comic books so that they can effectively manage their periods and build the self-confidence they need to take control of the future and succeed. All of our comic books come with free reusable sanitary pads (3 pads) to help fight against period poverty in Africa, one pair of underwear, and a free unique period bracelet to help them track where they are in their cycle and be ready with a pad in their school bag.
The first issue of the “Girls Only” comic book series titled “First Period” is currently available in English, French, Arabic, Swahili, Zulu, Amharic, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Luganda, Xhosa, Somali, Shona, Sesotho and Oromo. There are ongoing plans to translate it into 15 more languages by mid-2024. We want to reach as many girls as possible, and we believe this is the right step in that direction.
Our Core Values
Our Core values are derived from the acronym P.E.R.I.O.D
P
Providing free sanitary pads to young schoolgirls and making them accessible.
E
Educating and mentoring young African schoolgirls on periods, puberty, and sexual and reproductive health and rights topics in the most innovative way possible.
R
Raising awareness of the importance of menstrual hygiene for young schoolgirls.
I
Instilling the self-confidence that young schoolgirls need to succeed in the future.
O
Obliterating period poverty in Africa.
D
Dispelling long-held myths and misconceptions about periods.
The Team
Chika Nwaogu (Founder, Executive Director)
PadHer is his brainchild. A computer programmer, illustrator, and animator, Chika makes sure PadHer is constantly thriving to end period poverty in Africa in the most innovative way possible. He is the father to a lovely 3-year-old African girl. He studied International Women’s Health and Human Rights at Stanford University.
E: chika@padher.org
Thelma Teetee Ahamba (Co-founder, Director of Operations and Partnerships)
Ahamba is a 2019 Mandela Washington Fellow. She is responsible for establishing and building strong relationships with our partners and closely working with them to achieve the long-term goals and objectives of PadHer. Ahamba also oversees all operational aspects of PadHer.
Bassey Deborah Henshaw (Regional Director, West Africa)
Henshaw has a strong passion to change and impact the life of the African girlchild. She is one of the founding members of PadHer and oversees all PadHer activities in West Africa.
E: henshaw@padher.org
Victoria Zina Akenna (Country Manager, Nigeria)
Akenna is a visual artist and painter. She also wants to see the girl child thrive and succeed. She is the country manager of PadHer in Nigeria, where she actively oversees all things PadHer.
Chisom Emeachi (Zonal Manager, Eastern Nigeria)
Emeachi is the head of PadHer in Eastern Nigeria.
Lynda Ejilimalu (Educator/Mentor, Nigeria)
Ejilimalu is an educator/mentor at PadHer in Nigeria. She loves to teach and impart knowledge in any way she can. She wants to see the girl child succeed without periods getting in their way. She gives mentorship to young schoolgirls about their periods and not letting it get in their way.
Elvinah Kerubo Nyambaso (Regional Director, East Africa)
Elvinah Nyambaso wants to change the world and create a better place for women like herself. Nyambaso is a regional director at PadHer for East Africa where she oversees all things PadHer.
E: nyambaso@padher.org
Aloo Odundo (Country Manager, Kenya)
Odundo is the PadHer’s country manager for Kenya. She has demonstrated exceptional support for what we do at PadHer. She also loves to mentor young schoolgirls on how to effectively manage their periods and build the self-confidence they need to take control of the future and succeed.
Marion Sharrlyne Owino (Educator/Mentor, Kenya)
Owino is an educator/mentor and mentor at PadHer. She helps educate young schoolgirls during our many period workshops in Kenya. With a passion to teach and impact on young schoolgirls, Owino is changing the narrative and stigma surrounding periods in Africa.
Kelebohile Dalaseni (Regional Director, Southern Africa)
Dalaseni is the youngest on our team, and at age 22, Dalaseni is a regional director at PadHer for Southern Africa. Dalaseni is a visionary who seeks to improve the lives of the girlchild in Africa.
E: dalaseni@padher.org
Camilla Farouk Jussab (Regional Director, Central Africa)
Jussab is a mother to a beautiful girl and wants to see a better world where periods are not stigmatized. She is a founding member at PadHer and the regional director of PadHer in Central Africa.
E: jussab@padher.org
Karen Ashraf (Regional Director, North Africa)
Ashraf is a avid educator and wants to see period normalized. She is passionate about PadHer and what we are doing here to eradicate period poverty in Africa. Ashraf is the regional director at PadHer for North Africa.
E: ashraf@padher.org
Nasra Abdi (Board Advisor)
Nasra works with Terres des Hommes, a child protection organization that protects and empowers children for their well-being.
Dr. Jackson Kinyua Mwangi (Medical Advisor)
Dr. Jackson is a medical doctor based in Kenya and a medical adviser to PadHer.
How do you stay sustainable?
By operating as a social enterprise, PadHer stays sustainable. As a social enterprise, PadHer uses technology to solve period-related topics that can reduce the productivity of women and girls in society. For example, PadHer uses TENS technology to create a wearable, drug-free, instant period pain reliever that produces no side effects. PadHer then uses the profit made from selling these TENS devices to help fight period poverty in Africa.
PadHer also manufactures and sells high-quality, low-cost reusable sanitary pads and similarly uses the profit made from selling them to help fight period poverty in Africa. For example, for every pad PadHer sells, it donates a free reusable sanitary pad to a young African schoolgirl who can not afford one.
PadHer is also making period education inclusive by donating one comic book to a young African schoolgirl in an underserved community for every comic book it sells. Visit PadHer.com to know more.
PadHer is a non-profit with a mandate to change the narrative and stigma surrounding periods.
“Young girls should be taught about periods even before they start menstruating because they can be scared by the sight of their first period if they don’t understand what’s going on.” —Chika Nwaogu
We are a team of visionaries and disruptors who are vehemently committed to gender equality and building confidence in our young girls. We are doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways.
“I met a lady in Nairobi who told me how she started her period at age eight and never told her parents because she felt she had a problem. As a result, she did not use a pad until she was 12 because she did not know what was wrong with her and could not tell anyone for fear of being judged.
She used cotton and did not start using pads until girls at school were asked to come forward and get sanitary pads if they had started having their periods. She decided to use the sanitary pads, not knowing if she had her periods or not, as hers were irregular, and she thought they were a problem rather than periods. She even changed schools to keep her friends from finding out what she was going through.
Her story made me understand the importance of period education to young schoolgirls, as many young schoolgirls still face these challenges. This story inspired the creation of PadHer”.
says Chika Nwaogu, PadHer’s founder.
Periods should NEVER stop her.
Periods should NEVER limit her.
Periods should NEVER put her at risk.
Periods should NEVER steal her confidence!
Periods should NEVER limit her.
Periods should NEVER put her at risk.
Periods should NEVER steal her confidence!
At PadHer, we see an Africa where our young girls are secure in their future, have the freedom to choose their path, and live the life they desire.
VISION
Building an Africa free of period poverty.
MISSION
To provide innovative ways to educate and mentor young African schoolgirls in underserved communities on periods, puberty, and sexual and reproductive health and rights topics, while making sanitary pads free and accessible.
OUR APPROACH
At PadHer, we take these holistic approaches to support young African schoolgirls in underserved communities:
Innovative menstrual and SRHR
education via comic books & workshops
PadHer stands at the forefront of innovation when it comes to menstrual and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) education. Through a unique blend of comic books and interactive workshops, PadHer revolutionizes the way young girls, especially in underserved communities, learn about these crucial topics.
Making sanitary pads free and accessible
Due to the lack of access to sanitary products due to financial challenges in underserved communities, PadHer gives free reusable sanitary pads (3 pads) to young schoolgirls as we educate and mentor them about periods. We are giving these girls two years of period protection! Our pads also come with one free pair of underwear.
Increasing menstrual awareness via period bracelets
We are increasing menstrual awareness via period bracelets. The period bracelet helps stop period stigma as young schoolgirls wear them to show they are proud, while they also use it to track their cycle and be ready with a pad in their school bag.