Meet Assistant Production Manager Eric Ndayishimiye

Assistant Production Manager Eric Derrick NDAYISHIMIYE Headshot

Eric Ndayishimiye joins SHE, Rwanda as its Assistant Production Manager.

What is your role at SHE and what are some of your current projects?

My role is Assistant Production Manager. Currently, my projects are continuous product improvements of our go! pads to maintain its high-quality and maintenance of our machines.

How did you first connect with SHE?

One day a friend of me told that “Man, they doing some cool innovation in Ngoma. Let’s go and see what is going on!!” After I visited the production site, and learned more about the patented process of producing pads out of banana fibers, I applied for an internship to work as a production intern.  

Why did you join SHE?

I joined SHE to contribute my technical skills to a greater mission of valuing our sisters and mothers so they no longer miss work or school.

What have you learned about grit, innovation, and trust since joining the team?

I learned how the use of banana fibers is highly innovative and unique. I also am inspired that everyone at SHE can play be a part of addressing this problem; that each one of us have skills that we can use to improve our communities.

What is your goal for expanding go!’s pad production?

My goals is to learn the technology updates needed so we can quickly implement in our pad production.

When you’re not working at SHE, what are your passions and hobbies?

I am passionate about solving practical problems (DIY). I enjoy watching movies and swimming.

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

They be surprised to know that I am flexible and kind.

What words best describe you?

Quiet, Wise, and Hard Worker

What’s the most recent book you read / TV or movie you watched / song you danced to?

The recent book I’ve read is The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and my favorite TV show is SHAMELESS.

Why We Celebrate Labor Day

 

 

We love to celebrate Labor Day here at SHE, and it’s not just because it’s the last weekend before school begins. It’s one of our favorite holidays because with every job created to produce our go! pads in Rwanda, we get closer to earning back the $115M estimated loss in GDP simply because 18% of girls we surveyed miss school when they can’t afford pads.

Thanks to your generous support, we’ve been able to boost the incomes of 600+ smallholder farmers, and create 15 new jobs at our production site so enterprising folks like Sandrine (meet her) and Marie Louise (meet her) can improve their livelihoods and their communities.

Together, we aspire to create 1200+ jobs across the entire value chain – from farmer to franchise owner to pad assembler as we reach 250,000 girls by 2017.

You can help us reach that goal by sharing our video today!

WATCH AND SHARE

Moms Know Best

This year, we celebrated Mother’s Day at our Ngoma production site by inviting our team’s children to tour the facility and enjoy in some special treats. We asked their children what they most appreciate about their mothers, and their responses (and photos) are too charming not to share!

Barbara, age 4

Barbara, age 4

“I like my mother because she buys me puppets and a bicycle.”

Igor, age 8

Igor, age 8

“I am proud of my foster mother (Aunty) because she continuously helps me to improve my class scores and because of her efforts this term I was ranked the third of my class.”

Bella, age 6

Bella, age 6

"I am proud of my mother and my family because they respect me."

Our mothers had their turn too to share what is most meaningful to them about working at SHE.

Nadine and her daughter Barbara, age 4

Nadine and her daughter Barbara, age 4

"I am inspired to go to work everyday because I am producing something helpful for girls and women."

Marie Louise Umulisa with her children

Marie Louise Umulisa with her children

" I didn’t feel comfortable to talk about menstruation and pads, but now that I produce them I feel comfortable and confident to talk about both menstruation and using pads."

Sandrine and her children

Sandrine and her children

"The most meaningful part of my work is that I proudly use the product that I have produced myself!"

Thanks to our working moms are doing to make a lasting impact for their children and for their communities! Happy Mother’s Day!

We’re Hiring! Join the SHE Team as our Executive Director

About Sustainable Health Enterprises:

Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE), an award-winning social venture recognized by Harvard Business School, Bill Clinton, and most recently featured by Pulitzer Prize New York Times writer Nick Kristof in his new book, is looking for an Executive Director. We’ve come a long way in a short time and now we’re at an exciting growth point and looking for a dynamic Executive Director (a newly created position) to help lead the way!

SHE is an innovative social venture that invests in people and ideas that are typically overlooked (and often taboo) as vehicles of socio-economic change. SHE’s first initiative, SHE28, addresses girls’ and women’s lack of access to affordable menstrual pads resulting in significant costs to their reproductive health, educational achievements, work productivity, and dignity.  SHE is stemming these costs by developing a franchise model to manufacture and distribute affordable, eco-friendly menstrual pads for girls and women by sourcing local, inexpensive raw materials (e.g., banana fibers) and leveraging existing networks.  Coupling these new businesses with public health and hygiene education and advocacy will have a significant social and economic impact on these communities.

Job Description: Executive Director

The Executive Director will oversee all aspects of SHE, including:

Strategy

  1. Review existing 5 year scale strategy and alter (if need be based on current milestones and environment);
  2. Determine steps to execute (operational, human resource, financial requirements)
  3. Get Board/team buy in
  4. Execute on 5 year plan with measurable progress against quarterly and annual targets

Capital raising

  1. Determine capital needs based on updated strategy
  2. Ultimately responsible for raising funds by utilizing existing partnerships and developing new ones (individual, institutional, Board)
    • Individual-driven: catalyzing major gifts (50K+ range)
    • Institutional: catalyzing $100K+ large multi-year gifts
    • Board: facilitate significant board involvement in raising capital
    • Request for proposals: oversee grant proposal writing and reporting in the 100K+ range
  3. Oversee all stewardship of all major capital coming in through in-person meetings and/or reports
  4. Ensure SHE Rwanda is meeting sales targets; work with CEO and Board on other diversified earned income streams

Management (Operations, Finance, Organizational Development, Human Resources)

  1. Ensure Rwandan operations are fulfilling investor milestones
  2. Oversee sharing of best practices globally based on 5 year strategy
  3. Work with vendors to follow all financial reporting required by investors as well as US government (including 990 and CHAR filings, audit)
  4. Work with vendors and COO Global and Head of Operations Rwanda to make sure all policies and processes are in place for smooth operations
  5. Make recommendations on hiring decisions in US and confer with Heads of Operations Rwanda on HR decisions in Rwanda

Board Relations

  1. Prepare materials for quarterly Board meetings, updating board on operations, strategy, etc
  2. Work with Board Chair to recruit potential new Board members and/or advisors who would accelerate our progress

Leadership

  1. Lead with integrity, passion, and determination and inspire the staff and international community
  2. Advocate for SHE externally. The Executive Director would represent SHE and/or tap certain staff to represent SHE in national and/or international meetings, communicating our mission to increase our reach and impact.

Qualifications

We are looking for outstanding candidates who fit the following criteria:

  • Track record: At least five years of senior management experience in a growing, global organization preferred
  • Business savvy: Have been responsible for a P&L (preferably $1M+) and built and managed teams that successfully executed on a strategic plan for impact and scale.
  • Must be experienced in building financial models that will drive key parts of the strategy.
  • Capital raising: Proven track record of raising venture philanthropic capital (via individuals, institutions—large foundations, corporations, etc) and/or creative new structures
  • Extensive network, including relationships with potential large funders and/or strategic partners
  • Exceptional communications skills
  • Can-do positive attitude (we did figure out how to make sanitary pads out of banana trees—not easy!) and initiative
  • Bachelor degree required, advanced degree preferred
  • Strong background in international economic development and/or social entrepreneurship preferred, but open to highly-skilled unique leaders
  • Language: English required. French is a plus

Job Location: Preferably NYC with up to 50% travel, nationally and internationally

Duration
 minimum: 2+ years commitment, full-time job.

Preferred Start Date:
 June 2015

Compensation: Competitive with performance-driven bonuses and raises

To Apply:

Please send cover letter and CV to hresources@SHEinnovates.com as late as May 5, 2015 (this is rolling though, so the earlier the better) and let us know why you would be the best person for the job today!

 

Meet the SHE Team: Yvonne Krywyj

Hometown: Detroit

What is your role and what are some of your current projects?  I am the head of business operations for Rwanda, so I oversee everything that goes on here. Right now, I’m working on updating our team’s strategic plans and working to get our pads approved by the Rwanda Bureau of Standards, as well as engaging partners for future collaborations. 

What might (someone) be surprised to know about you? I can come up with haikus on command, about any topic. For example, here’s one for SHE:

This one’s for the girls: 

Period’s no cause for shame. 

Let’s break the taboo.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Or your favorite snack?

I’m not a big dessert person, but I can’t resist Ben & Jerry’s Triple Caramel Chunk, which I think has a new name now. My favorite snack, though, is wasabi peas. Or wasabi peanuts. Or really anything coated in wasabi.

What was the last song you just listened to?

Embrace, by Goldroom

Why did you join SHE?

I joined SHE because it offers a market-based approach to a social problem, because it creates jobs and increases income for women all along the value chain, because it benefits women and girls, and because I couldn’t ask for a better team of people to work with.

What do you wish other people knew about SHE?

I wish other people knew that SHE is not a traditional charity but, rather, is investing in people and growing the economy here in Rwanda while breaking the taboos around menstruation and making it easier for women and girls to go about their normal daily lives while on their periods. In the long-term, operating as a business is a much more sustainable approach than relying on donations forever.

Flora leading teachers training session Nov 2014

Meet the SHE Team: Flora Ufitinema

What is your role and what are some of your current projects?

As the Marketing and Research Associate, I serve as the brand advocate of go!, and work closely with the team to increase brand awareness, drive sales, and ultimately generate new business leads. I also provide research and analysis support to our health education and awareness program.

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

People don’t believe that I can tell good jokes, but I always surprise them when I speak out and make people laugh. I seem more as an introvert, but in reality, I am both an introvert and extrovert.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Or your favorite snack?

Chocolate Ice Cream

What was the last song you just listened to?

“Create In Me A Clean Heart” by Donnie McClurkin

Why did you join SHE?

I joined SHE so I can be part of a team that inspires confidence in girls everyday of the month, and provides sustainable solutions to Rwandan young girls using our country’s resources.

What do you wish other people knew about SHE?

People should know that SHE enables girls to find freedom and dignity, promotes a positive outlook on menstruation and boosts girls’ confidence during a period of insecurity.

Meet SHE Intern: Sara Rossi

Sara Rossi photo

Hometown:  I’ve spent 5-7 years in each of the following places: Paris, France (where I was born), Connecticut, Texas, and California (San Francisco and LA) – so I never know how to answer this question!  I moved to New York City two years ago to pursue my MPH and MPA at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and SIPA, respectively.  I now live in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and will be graduating in December.

What are you working on?  This fall I will be working on several projects for the SHE team focusing on government advocacy, content development, strategy, and technology.  I’m looking forward to applying my public health, development, and gender expertise to furthering SHE’s mission!

What superpower would you have?  Teleporting.  I live an hour’s train ride from school and work – how nice it would be to be able to snap my fingers and arrive at my destination!  Either that or the ability to be two places at once, as my family lives in the UK and I have friends scattered around the globe.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?  I love fruity sorbets, salted caramel, and sometimes just a plain old vanilla cone from one of NYC’s ubiquitous ice cream trucks.

What was the last song that played on your iPod/iPhone/iPad?  Last night I was listening to the new self-titled album from indie folk/electro-pop band Sylvan Esso.

Why did you join SHE? I joined the SHE team to help unleash girls’ and women’s full potential by improving their health, promoting their dignity, and enabling their full participation in society.  I recently concluded a 6-month consulting engagement with BRAC on their Empowerment and Livelihoods for Adolescents program, which brought me to Uganda for 3 weeks of qualitative research.  There I met the most inspiring girls who face extremely challenging circumstances but have hope for their futures and take pride in themselves and their communities. One observation that struck me as a public health professional was the lack of affordable health commodities including sanitary pads.  Most girls used rags or other workarounds and suffered humiliation during that time of the month, as well as uncertainty due to lack of accurate menstrual health information.  I have been interested in social enterprise and market-based approaches to public health for the past couple of years am so excited to be a part of the path breaking work being done at SHE using these strategies to solve a fundamental public health problem.

Meet SHE Intern: Arianna Strome

nyu_vertstd_Arianna Strome-1

Hometown: I am originally from Baltimore, Maryland but currently I am attending New York University. I am a junior studying Media, Culture and Communications combined with Public Health.

What are you working on? I am helping the SHE team with marketing and social media.

What superpower would you have? If I could have any superpower it would be to have an incredible memory so that I could remember everything forever. Not only would this really help ace my midterms, I would be able to remember all the incredible people, experiences, conversations, and moments for the rest of my life.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? I am actually a vegan so I don’t eat ice cream. But, in New York there is an incredible place called Chloe’s, which serves soft-served fruit. The banana and mango flavors are amazing!

Why did you join SHE? I joined SHE for several reasons including their focus on girls and women, their commitment to sustainability, and their passion surrounding a very real issue. Firstly, as a female athlete I have always felt strongly about giving women the voice that they deserve. I admire how SHE fights to change the status quo and inspire women and their communities. Secondly, I have participated in several service trips and what I noticed is that giving money, food, supplies, etc. to a community only puts a Band-Aid over the issue at hand; to truly solve a problem the solution must be sustainable. SHE’s pads and pad production are a solution that eventually will be able to run without the middleman. Lastly, I passionately believe that girls should never be actually limited by their period. This is a very real issue and it is holding us girls back! With SHE’s pads, every girl has the opportunity to reach her full potential and actively participate in society.