What topics are you working on and/or do you have experience with?

We address Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM), in urban areas and slums in Kenya. Why? About 52% of the female population is of reproductive age and most of them are menstruating every month. The majority of them have no access to clean and safe sanitary products, or to a clean and private space in which to change menstrual cloths or pads and to wash. Menstruation is supposed to be invisible and silent, and sometimes, menstruating women and girls are supposed to be invisible and silent, too. Millions of girls and women are subject to restrictions in their daily lives simply because they are menstruating. Besides the health problems due to poor hygiene during menstruation, the lack or unaffordability of facilities and appropriate sanitary products may push menstruating girls temporarily or sometimes permanently out of school, having a negative impact on their right to education. The best place to make an impact on improving the lives of girls and women is in water and sanitation. The time has come to promote – loudly and unashamedly – the role of good Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) as a trigger for better, stronger development of women and girls: personal, educational and professional. There is also clear evidence to show that ignoring good menstrual hygiene is damaging not just women and girls directly but also for schools, businesses and economies

What are you looking for in the VIA Water Community (partners, skills, advice, knowledge, etc)?

My organisation believes that the best place to make an impact on improving the menstrual hygiene and improve the lives of girls and women is in water and sanitation. So we plan to work with Via Water Community to learn lessons and practicable ideas that will address this issue permanently

What knowledge, expertise, skills do you have to offer?

I am the Director and founder of the Women Development Centre ( East Africa) Ltd (WODEC), a women-led social enterprise company which has firmly positioned itself to engage in development and working to make quality sustainable feminine hygiene available to all. We have the dedication to address Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM), in urban areas and slums. Why? because MHM is as an issue that has been identified by disadvantaged women and girls as a driver of gender inequality and disempowerment in slum areas. We plans to develop a replicable and evidence-based model for delivering re-usable sanitary pads and education to marginalized girls in western Kenya. Vision-Every girl and woman in the world with ready feasible access to quality sustainable hygiene & women's health education by 2022.