Train and Empower Adolescent Girls in Mahama Refugee Camp on How to make Reusable Sanitary Pads, and Intensive Health Care Education
The project seeks to provide hands-on training and reproductive health education to young adolescents girls and women in Mahama Refugee Camp

What specific problem(s) are you trying to address?

What are some of your unanswered questions about the problem(s) you are working to address?
We are still working on how we intend to expand our services to other stricken refugee camps, apart from Mahama refugee. However, on scale, our impact will be first aimed at Mahama refugee camp, which is most affected and despite its small size and densely populated territory, is hosting 164,561 refugees in total, who are primarily from Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo, accounting to 50000 Burundian Refugees. We are also currently turning all stones around us to raise funds.Explain Your Idea


Name the three most important ways that your idea will address your identified problem(s).
• Through providing training, this affordable, durable, environmentally sound solution enables girls or women to produce the products within their own homes • These girls and women are more prone to dropping out of school, early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases; therefore, by providing intensive reproductive health education, individuals will learn how to account for their health and life. • Materials will be sourced locally and get labor from the local community thus enabling us provide employment to the community, minimize on costs of production.How is your idea unique?
Compassion is the most powerful weapon that has ever existed: similar initiatives are sales and profit-focused, which has not helped these poor refugees freeing their home countries, seeking for settlement and peace; individuals who can not afford two meals a day. However much these initiatives produce and distribute their products at a lower cost, the impact is caused to only those who can afford it. Igire Rwanda Organisation, is a non-governmental organisation we formed as youth, university students to help and educate Rwandan youth to be self-reliant and create development opportunities.Who are your end users?


Where will your idea be implemented?
- Rwanda
What is the primary type of emergency setting where your innovation would operate?
- Natural disaster
- Prolonged displacement
- Community at risk of disaster
Tell us more about the emergency setting that you intend to implement in
According to the UNHCR, at least 500 refugees are seen entering Mahama refugee camp on a daily basis. Lack of effective and eco-friendly menstrual management equipment and skills is anticipated to raise. This will force these individuals to resort to using choice but to use pieces of old foam mattresses, cut blankets, old and unclean T-shirts, leaves, mud, animal skin, toilet papers, and back cloth rags; a culture of shame and embarrassment forces them to keep silent about this practice.What is your organization's name?
Igire Rwanda OrganisationTell us more about you.
I am a health care student with a global perspective at Kepler University, Rwanda in partnership with Southern New Hampshire University. I have passion for business, technology, especially with a relation in HealthCare Management. I believe that such world's challenges can be transformed into opportunities when invested in the generation. I am also a program manager for Igire Rwanda Organisation (IRO), a youth non-governmental organisation we created to enable youth create development opportunities and become self-reliant. I am based in Kigali Rwanda, where I am currently pursuing my Bachelors Degree in HealthCare Management in global perspective.Organizational Characteristics
- Youth-led organization
What is the current scale of your proposed innovation?
- Community - 1+ communities within 1 country
Experience in Implementation Country(ies)
- Yes, for more than one year.
Expertise in Sector
- Yes, for more than a year.
Organization Location
We are located in Kigali, Rwanda and registered with Rwanda Governance Board (RGD).What is your organizational status?
- Registered non-profit, charity, NGO, or community-based organization.
What is the maturity of your innovation?
- Early Stage Innovation: exploring my innovation, refining, researching, and gathering inspiration.
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CommentTammi Chen