connie lewin

Itoro, a SUNY Binghamton rising senior, worked at SHE Global this summer.

Meet SHE Intern: Itoro Chloe-Udo

in Blog / Meet the SHE Team  by connie lewin

Hometown: I was born in Vancouver, Canada but moved to New York City at a young age.  I am now currently living in Yonkers.

What are you working on? For SHE, I am currently working on a SHE Goes to School project in which our current #smallthings and SHE 28 campaigns would be more involved on colleges campuses. Through this project, SHE would like to go to school and get help from girls like myself who share these same ideals that highlight the importance of dignity and accessible hygiene for all.  I am also making the most of my summer and enjoying spending time with my friends and family and preparing for my senior year of college.

What superpower would you have? I would be able to fly. I can imagine that there must be no greater feeling of absolute freedom.

Who is your favorite volleyball player? Megan Hodge. She’s an all-American player with exceptional skills both on and off the court.

What was the last song that played on your iPod/iPhone/iPad? I’m Not the Only One by Sam Smith. I absolutely love him!

Why did you join SHE? I have always had an affinity for helping others, especially those whose potential is usually overlooked. Everyone that knows me can tell you that I ALWAYS root for the underdog. So when I first found out about SHE, I was instantly locked in and engaged because of what SHE represents.  SHE can be me – spicy and provocative, yet educational and motivational. As a young woman of Nigerian descent, I especially feel a close tie to the work SHE is doing with young girls and women in Rwanda.  SHE is sending the message that not only do small things make a difference but that education IS power. It’s rewarding for me to be part of a team who believes that it is not solely about charity; we have to get out there and do something!

Meet SHE Intern: Harriet Fisher

in Blog / Meet the SHE Team  by connie lewin

Hometown: I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, but I spend most of the year at school in beautiful Brunswick, Maine.

What are you working on? I am working to organize and catalog the many, many articles and resources SHE team members access. The project has allowed me to read about the incredible work professors, NGOs, governments, and everyone in between are doing to improve menstrual hygiene management.

I am also scooping ice cream at a local Brooklyn shop, working on my parallel parking, and hiking in the White Mountains.

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Chocolate Chocolate Chunk with hot fudge. Bring on the chocolate.

What superpower would you have?

Perhaps it’s trite, but I would love to fly. To be able to soar over the Grand Canyon, Angkor Wat, Shanghai? Yes, please!

What was the last song you played on your iPhone?

All About that Bass by Meghan Trainor

Why did you join SHE?

I recently took in a course on NGOs in politics in which we discussed the problematic ways in which non governmental organizations provide deeply patronizing aid. I joined SHE and admire SHE’s work because of its commitment to a product that enables women to support themselves. SHE’s goal is not to create dependence on foreigners, but rather to great independence for the many women in Rwanda who lack access to something so basic: a pad.

Nadia Hitimana selected as inaugural Young African Leader Fellow

in Uncategorized  by connie lewin

We’re proud to announce that Nadia Hitimana (3rd from right), our Health and Hygiene Officer, has been selected as an inaugural Young African Leader Fellow. The Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is U.S. President Barack Obama’s month-long exchange program to bring 500 young leaders to the United States each year, for leadership training, academic coursework and mentoring.

Three cheers for Nadia, and let’s see if she can get the President to start talking about menstruation too!

You can learn more about the program here: http://youngafricanleaders.state.gov/

SHE selected for the 2014’s Sustainia 100 list

in 2014 / awards / go!  by connie lewin

Scandinavian think tank SUSTAINIA featured our banana-fiber menstrual pads in its Sustainia 100 list – a study featuring the 100 leading sustainability innovations deployed on global markets. And our pad has been selected for its state-of-the-art innovation.

More than 900 technologies and projects on nearly all continents have been researched to identify the 100 outstanding cases, and to document where and how innovations are being developed and deployed. The study, SUSTAINIA100, is showing a growing diversity in sustainability innovations globally, which is providing businesses with new market opportunities.

The SUSTAINIA100 solutions are selected based on the three dimensions of sustainability; environmental, social, and economic. SUSTAINIA has adopted a systematic approach to collecting solutions in concert with a global sustainability network. This approach runs year round with a final deadline for solutions in March.

The full Sustainia100 publication with 100 selection cases available here
http://www.sustainia.me/resources/publications/3rd_sustainia100_2014.pdf

It’s time to celebrate the #smallthings!

in Uncategorized  by connie lewin

At SHE, we believe the #smallthings, like a menstrual pad, can make big changes in the lives of girls in Rwanda.

You believe us too, so YOU Are invited to tell the world what #smallthings has helped give you the confidence to stand tall – whether it was in the classroom, the board room, or in your community.

Take a #smallthingselfie with your favorite small thing – dare 5 of your friends to do it and tag them in the photo!

Write your #smallthings message on a poster, a notecard or even your hand and take a picture.

Share how girls win back 5 years of school and wages when they have access to menstrual pads by instagramming, tweeting or posting our infographic (see below!) on Facebook.

We are also looking for SHE Champions – smart, connected and passionate global citizens that are willing to lend their voices to the #smallthings campaign throughout 2014! You can sign up by emailing Connie Lewin at connie@sheinnovates.com

Learn more about the campaign at sheinnovates.com/smallthings

smallthings campaign infographic

SHE Rwanda celebrates Menstrual Hygiene Day

in advocacy  by connie lewin

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Our team in Rwanda celebrated Menstrual Hygiene Day with high school students at the Riviera Day School. Over 100 students joined us as we led a menstrual hygiene awareness session among girls and boys. The students were excited to be part of a global event and proudly wore menstrual cycle bracelets to show their support!

DSCN6394  DSCN6397

Introducing go!

in 2014 / branding / go!  by connie lewin

goPads_PackageFront-01

By Connie Lewin, Strategic Partnerships and Marketing Director

Our branding process all started when I stood outside in front of 200+ girls and boys on the campus of a rural Rwandan school and we began discussing menstruation. I expected to only meet with 8-10 girls when I arrived at the school, but soon learned that it’s very common to receive a warm welcome from the entire school when you’re a new visitor.

After an awkward start when my colleague and I began introducing ourselves and what we do at SHE, the mood quickly shifted when one (brave) girl asked a question, “Can I play soccer when I am menstruating?” I’m sure a surprised look came across my face because she asked me the question again. I replied back “Of course, you can!” A sense of relief took over her body. Suddenly, more and more girls asked questions related to what they stopped doing when they had their period – laughing, dancing, riding a bike, doing chores, and going to school.

I soon began to realize that girls were missing out on more than having access to a pad; to those who even used menstrual products, they felt like they couldn’t move or do anything because if you’re “sick,” you should just stay at home.

Informed with this first-hand knowledge, the team and I began the branding process of our banana-fiber maxi-pad with these questions in mind:

 “How can we build a brand that will change the way girls think about menstruation?”

“How do we use our brand to work toward our larger goals of driving social and economic change?”

“How do we make sure our brand is used as a strategic asset, so girls can directly benefit?”

It took hundreds of conversations with girls, brainstorms and ideations within the team, and an on-street survey to develop a brand identity that we hope will change the way Rwandans think about menstruation.

– go! is global. We decided to have it bi-lingual to show that will our brand is locally made, it has global aspirations to connect and serve girls in many communities. (P.S. Nshyashya means brand new)

– go! is bold.We’re rocking bold colors selected by the girls themselves; go! is for girls, by girls.

go! will be delivered to girls this year, and we can’t wait to see their reactions and learn more about their go! experiences. We will be sharing more photos and testimonials about go! throughout the year, so stay tuned.

What do you think? Who do you feel we are? Let us know in the comments.