“I like being part of this project. Not only because it is a source of income for me and my family, but because of the many things I have learnt along the way about women and menstruation. I have come to appreciate what women experience and now have a better understanding of their needs. I have a daughter and I am certain that I will be a better father to her because of this. There is obviously the benefit of having acquired skill and management of small business project, which is a lot. Reusable pads are cheap and affordable”
Providence Gonon’ono
A 2014 survey showed that 20% of girls miss school due to menstruation and 62% miss school due to lack of adequate sanitary ware. Re-usable pads are an affordable and clean alternative for women and girls in both rural communities and urban areas where sanitary ware has become increasingly expensive. In light of this, Green Fuel started a reusable sanitary ware project bringing on 5 members of the local community to produce reusable pads to then sell onto both Green Fuel and the wider community.
Green Fuel purchases batches of sanitary pads to donate to local primary and secondary schools, ensuring that the project has a direct impact on the project team as well as a significant number of women and girls within the wider community. What started off as a small project with a small catchment area of communities in and around Chisumbanje is growing daily with requests and orders for re-usable pads from areas such as Mutare and Harare
