Johannesburg - Leading social entrepreneur and activist Dr Vivian Mokome says she is thrilled to have finally realised her dream of making her organic range of sanitary towels a success.
This comes after Mokome recently managed to get a licence to manufacture and distribute her new organic sanitary pad product to local retail outlets.
The Bushbuckridge-born businesswoman, who regularly donates her sanitary towels to schools across the country, said her new range of organic premium pads were comfortable, thinner than a normal pad, and didn’t leak like normal pads would leak when there’s heavy flow.
She added that the Dignity long-lasting inspiration pads were made from organic cotton and were hypo-allergenic (no itching or rashes). There are no chemicals used in the product.
“This is about the health, dignity and confidence of our women. The pads are practical and easy to use, and the good thing about our range of pads is that they are biodegradable and friendly to the environment. It is about educating women, as it is high time we started talking about these things and start addressing these issues.”
Mokome said quality was an important factor, and her range of products reflect this belief as they were made of anion strip (green strip), which kills 99% of bacteria, giving the organic pads antibacterial benefits.
“There is an article that reports that women in Kenya were boycotting other sanitary towel brands because of their bad quality. Anion also neutralises free radicals and has antiviral effects; this helps to fight urinary tract infections (UTIs), which many women suffer from as a result of using public toilets, for example. The pads are absorbent, with an absorption capacity of 3-5 times that of any ordinary pad,” she said.
She added that women were being forced to use brands that applied industrial glue to their products.
“Some of these women are forced to wear pads that make use of industrial glue for up to eight hours a day. Our high-quality organic sanitary napkins have been tested and found to be biodegradable and 3 to 5 times the quality of a normal pad, which will prevent period shaming and absconding when girls don’t come to school due to heavy flow or a lack of access to sanitary pads. Proceeds from these pads will also go to the Dignity for Our Girl Child project mission for public schools in order to close the large gap of period poverty in the country,” she said.
The successful social entrepreneur said she planned to launch the organic product officially next month at local public schools through her foundation, Mokome Foundation, and her partners, who helped hundreds of girls attain hygiene integrity by providing sanitary pads for menstruation.
Over the years, the foundation has become an arm for public schools by reaching low-income women and girls faced with the misfortune of not being able to afford menstrual products. In February, it distributed over 10 000 pads to over 20 schools.
Through Dignity Organic Pads, Mokome aims to end period poverty and the stigma surrounding menstruation. Proceeds from this pad product will be used to reach low-income women and girls who can’t afford to feel confident using her premium organic pads.