Heels4Pads Foundation
65% of women in Kenya struggle to afford menstrual products, leaving them to manage their periods with makeshift solutions. 42% of Kenyan school girls use rags, blankets, pieces of mattress, tissue paper, & cotton wool instead of sanitary pads. This not only compromises their health but also their education and dignity.
Menstrual Hygiene Day, Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Heart Education
Heels4Pads is at the forefront of combating period poverty. By mobilizing high heel donations, we provide sanitary pads to those in need, ensuring that menstruation is no longer a barrier to education and opportunity. Our innovative exchange program turns the tide on period poverty, one heel at a time.
Core Values
Dignity, Equality and Confidence
- Our guiding principles
Objective
Innovate to distribute menstrual aids and education, destigmatizing menstruation in Kenya.
Mission
Use barter to combat period poverty, educate, and normalize menstrual health discussions.
Vision
Digitally amplify period poverty awareness, improve access to menstrual care, and advocate for equality.
Our Approach
High Heels as a Fundraising Tool
Heels4Pads transforms the act of giving into a cycle of empowerment. Our unique fundraising tool, high heels, circles back confidence and restores dignity to girls and women in marginalized communities. Through our Heels4Pads Exchange, we leverage the power of digital media and social platforms to conduct campaigns that deconstruct menstrual myths and advocate for policy change. The exchange of gently used high heels for sanitary pads ensures young women can attend school and start their careers with confidence, uninterrupted by menstruation.
Adopt a Dispenser Project
The ‘Adopt A Dispenser’ project, in partnership with Inteco, is a sustainable solution addressing the issue of girls missing school due to a lack of menstrual products. This tech-driven initiative provides easy access to sanitary pads through dispensing machines, offering safety, confidentiality, and dignity. With NFC technology, we monitor the impact on school attendance and performance, supporting our mission to reach 50,000 school girls across Kenya within five years, advancing education and menstrual health education.
Sanitary Pad Drive
The sanitary pads donated are distributed to vetted schools and organizations in marginalized communities. We conduct 3 calendar big campaigns and distributions mainly on March-International Women's Day, May- International Menstrual Health Management Day, October -International Day of the girl.
Sustainable Solutions: DIGNITY KITS
As a sustainable solution to period poverty over the 4 years of operations, we have assembled a dignity kit that caters to the menstrual needs of girls and women for at least 1.5-2 years.
Our Journey So Far
