Reusable Sanitary Pads Workshops in Maasai Village, Tanzania

Our workshops on making reusable sanitary pads continue!

Abi first visited the tribe as a volunteer when she spent two months in the village of Visiwani in Arusha and grew connections with the locals in the village. In February 2022, Abi came back to visit the Maasai tribe in Arusha, Tanzania. Throughout her visit, she was accompanied by Mary, a local teacher and volunteer from Arusha. While the boys in the community spent the day working outside, the girls of all age were highly involved in the workshop. Abi showed the girls how to make the reusable sanitary pads before the girls got involved in making them themselves. Especially the younger girls were interested in knowing more about menstruation, and hygiene, asking questions in Maasai which Mary and the older girls translated for Abi. Similar to other girls in Tanzania, the girls have not had access to education on menstruation and hygiene, and struggle as they cannot use sanitary products whilst at school. The girls were pleased to see the use of local produce for the sanitary pads as these are easy to access which will hopefully increase their access in the future.

After having spent one day in the Maasai village, Abi left to return for a second visit a week later. She found that the girls had been practising and making more pads themselves. They additionally showed their mothers how to make them too. When Abi arrived back in the village, the girls asked her for further tips, consequently she explained more about how to make reusable sanitary pads in different sizes and gave the girls more sewing material. Abi’s workshop in the Maasai village was another great success, also due to the girls eagerness to learn. Especially Mary’s help, and the help of other volunteers, are greatly appreciated in the community.