Ngoma

Rwanda’s Minister of Education visits SHE in Ngoma

in Blog  by connie lewin

Guest Post by Dany Karemera, Production Manager

The Ministry of Education is very supportive of SHE’s innovation and production of affordable menstrual pads out of banana fibers and liked that SHE provides our go! pads to girls in schools in order to keep them performing.

Minister of Education Dr. Musafiri Papias Malimba recently visited our production site in Ngoma.

On his visit, the Minister of Education in Rwanda, Dr. Musafiri Papias Malimba, appreciated our initiative and our mission in Rwanda of keeping girls in school accompanied by supporting the Rwanda’s economy. Dr. Papias also appreciated the local production of our products and collaboration with the women farmers in rural areas.

He believes that this local collaboration will be among the best system of improving and changing girls and women’s lives. He wishes to increase knowledge of SHE’s efforts so that go! pads can be used in every Rwandan school and demonstrated that he is very supportive of our mission.

 

Meet Assistant Production Manager Eric Ndayishimiye

in Blog  by connie lewin
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

in Blog  by connie lewin

 

 

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

Meet the Maker: Sandrine

in Blog  by connie lewin

Introducing our Meet the Maker Series: a behind-the-scene look at the women who assemble our pads from start to finish at our Ngoma production site. Meet Sandrine, a former small shop owner who purchased her first small home since joining SHE.

Sandrine and her children
Sandrine MUKANDUTIYE, a mother of one son and two daughters, is one of SHE’s employees. She works at our production site and makes our go! pads. One of her daily responsibilities is to cut the cover sheet, which is used to wrap and seal our fluff into a solid pad.

Before she joined SHE, Sandrine owned a small boutique. Since working at SHE, Sandrine has been able to save enough money to buy a new home. She will rent out the extra room in her home to bring in more income so she can meet her family’s needs.

Sandrine has also learned to no longer feel ashamed about menstruation. She has received health education from SHE and no longer considers menstruation as a taboo. Moreover, Sandrine recognizes the social benefits of working at SHE for her two daughters. Sandrine has also shared SHE’s health education with her daughters. She is confident that her daughters will no longer experience the shame and discomfort as Sandrine did.

As a result of working at SHE, Sandrine has not only increased her income, but has also become more respected in her family and in her community.

Sandrine’s plans are to continue working at SHE so she can build another small home that she can rent out. She is most proud of being part of a team of women that are working to provide affordable pads to the young girls in her community. She is proud of being one person among many who are improving her country’s economy.

Moms Know Best

in Blog  by connie lewin

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!