Reusable pads have taken Africa by storm as a sustainable solution to the social problem of period poverty. Inspire Women and Children in partnership with United Refineries took some time this World Menstrual Hygiene Day to teach girls how to make their own reusable pads. Reusable pads are a soft and comfortable go to emergency pad for a girl in the city, but for a rural girl these are an important and must have safety product.
Step 1: Cutting the pattern
The first step was to cut out the pattern used to cut out the materials used for the pad. Patten A for the absorbent material that goes inside the pad, and pattern B for the outside winged cover.
Step 2: Sewing up the materials
Sewing the materials together required some getting used to. The facilitators were supervising this hands on experience. Most girls were able to sew especially those with a background in Fashion and Fabrics from school. We put together the outside cover material, poly cotton which prevents leakage and. we put a fleece layer at the top which has high absorbency.
Step 3: Sewing in the absorbing napkins.
Inside the pad we made a layer with four cotton napkins, that helps with absorbing period blood to avoid soiling. The inner layers were cut from pattern A so that they fit into the outer layers cut from pattern A. The pieces fit together well, and the napkins ave to be attached to the main cover so avoid it moving around once they are washed.
