00:00In a small workshop in the heart of Addis Ababa, the sound of sewing machines
00:04fuel the air as women turn cotton fabric into reusable sanitary pads.
00:09For founder Anan Ahmed, the work is about more than making an affordable alternative to disposable products.
00:16It is about restoring dignity, keeping girls in school, and breaking the silence around menstruation in Ethiopia.
00:23I used to be one of those girls who have a very heavy flow.
00:26So whenever my period comes, it used to stain my clothes in the desk that I used to sit on.
00:33And because of that, I don't come to school like a week or two weeks making up excuses.
00:38I completely left the fashion industry and started this by the end of almost COVID, when COVID finished up.
00:47So I said I just want to do my part in the community.
00:50At Nigat Kukkep School in Addis Ababa, the initiative is already making a difference.
00:56For a 15-year-old student, Batsalot, reusable pads offer a practical solution while helping her avoid the embarrassment associated
01:04with leaks from disposable alternatives.
01:08When we use the other one, it can leak and touch our inner clothes.
01:12It touches our clothes and then embarrassment arises.
01:16This one, first it is clothed.
01:19We can wash it and reuse it, second, in a way that doesn't touch our clothes or inner clothes.
01:26In a country that imports all its sanitary pads, the high cost puts them beyond the reach for many women
01:33and girls.
01:35At the school, some teachers believe preparing girls before their first period is essential to preventing fear, isolation and absenteeism.
01:44Before it comes, we pass safety cues to young children so they don't panic before seeing their period, so they
01:52don't feel they're alone or scared in experiencing this.
01:55And we ensure they don't miss school.
01:58I do the same thing with my daughter at home.
02:01When she sees her period, we celebrate it as her womanhood.
02:06So we're trying to create that kind of, you know, freedom to talk about period, be it in our social
02:14media, in our community.
02:16We're raising our voice.
02:17For Hanan, every reusable pad represents an opportunity to challenge shame, improve access to menstrual hygiene,
02:25and give girls the confidence to participate fully in everyday life.
