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Phase: Review

I produce affordable sanitary pads from the banana fiber helping girls access for it and sex education, HMM and also Familial planing.

on my packages of sanitary pads are put in paper written information about the sex education,HMM and families planning.like cheating

Photo of GAKWAYA Samuel
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Opportunity Areas – Select those that apply

  • mHealth
  • Last Mile Sexual and Reproductive Health Commodities
  • Data
  • Innovative Finance

What specific problem(s) are you trying to address? (300 character limit)

according to the rural areas of Africans girls and women have the same problems of to can't access sanitary pads. 27% of women and girls in Africa missed out on work or school last year because they could not afford to buy menstrual pads. and also sex education,HMM and planing familial are too issue

What are some of your unanswered questions about the problem(s) you are working to address? (500 character limit)

so, i started i started to produce affordable sanitary pads from the bananas fiber as our local material ,banana fibers are extracted from the bananas stems residual. i produce 1250 packages of sanitary pads per month that enable 1250 girls and women no miss again on the school or worker because of lack sanitary pads and 15000 people know information about the sex education, and planing familial via my package written. cost of production of my one pad package 0.44$,my custom buy it on 0,65$

Who are your end users? (1000 character limit)

the girls and women of the Africa which can't afford imported or produce from imported material and also some need to use free chemical sanitary pads. So after to look these problems, I was started to look how can contribute to solve these problems I so I come up with an enterprise that produce health and affordable sanitary pads, Our products are produced locally, from locally sourced materials which make them more affordable on the market than other types of pads which are imported or produced from imported materials and on my packages of sanitary pads are written information about the sex education ... Really I’m starter it’s mean that I need every one able to invest in my company each one$ can make impact. In my enterprise one $ can use to produce 2 packages of sanitary pads that enable 30 people know information about sex education ,Hygiene Menstruation Management and families planning, 2 girls no longer again to miss on the school during menstruation period.

Explain your idea. (500 character limit)

I am Rwandan. I grew up in Eastern province where there is huge plantation of banana trees which leaves abundant residues after harvest. Looking at those abundant resources in my neighborhood, I started thinking of how I can turn them into something of value. So I came up with an enterprise that produces fibers and turn them into sanitary pads. Company’s mission: Keeping women productive and comfortable during menstruation period by providing them with healthy and affordable sanitary pads.

What is your value proposition? (500 character limit)

-Social responsiveness: The enterprise produces healthy pads which are more absorbent and chemicals free. -Afford ability: Our products are produced locally, from locally sourced materials which make them more affordable on the market -Health education: on my packages of sanitary pads are put in a paper written information about the sex education, hygiene menstruation management and families planning. That enable 15 people /moth access those information through on package

What's different about your idea compared to current solutions? (500 character limit)

on my packages of sanitary pads are put in a paper written information about the sex education, hygiene menstruation management and families planning. That enable 15 people /moth access those information through on package. Our products are produced locally, from locally sourced materials which make them more affordable on the market than other types of pads which are imported or produced from imported materials

What are the key reasons why end users would turn to your organization over another?

  • Newness: Satisfying a new set of needs

What would success look like for your end users? (500 character limit)

-Social responsiveness: The enterprise produces healthy pads which are more absorbent and chemicals free. -Afford ability: Our products are produced locally, from locally sourced materials which make them more affordable on the market -Health education: on my packages of sanitary pads are put in a paper written information about the sex education, hygiene menstruation management and families planning. That enable 15 people /moth access those information through on package

How would you measure the impact your idea has on your end user(s) ? How will you measure the success of your program? (500 character limit)

by asking my clients and i get feedback.

What strategies will/are you testing to acquire end users? (300 character limit)

i already test it in my neighborhood. all written above it was the result i got.

Key partnerships - Who will you partner with to make your idea work? (500 character limit)

by found me and to discuss about it.

What is your organization’s name? (150 character limit)

Sustainable Social Business (SSB) ltd

Tell us more about you: (750 character limit)

My name is GAKWAYA Samuel I am Rwandan of 26 years old and i'm finalist student of mechanical engineering i got training of social innovator and hygiene menstruation management, familial planing, sex education ...,.. from Dot Rwanda and ministry of healthy prog. I grew up in Eastern province where there is huge plantation of banana trees which leaves abundant residues after harvest. Looking at those abundant resources in my neighborhood,I started thinking of how I can turn them into something of value. So I came up with an enterprise that produces fibers and turn them into sanitary pads. Company’s mission: Keeping women productive and comfortable during menstruation period by providing them with healthy and affordable sanitary pads.

Organizational Characteristics

  • Women-led organization
  • Indigenous-led organization
  • Disabled Persons Organization (DPO)
  • Youth-led organization
  • Locally/community-led organization
  • International/global organization

Where will your idea be implemented? (200 character limit)

Rwanda in eastern province

What do you need to get started? (500 character limit)

financial for getting the good equipments

What is the current scale of your proposed innovation?

  • Community - one or a few communities within one country

Expertise in Sector

  • I've worked in a sector related to my idea for more than a year.

Organization Location (200 character limit)

Rwanda - eastern province-Rwamagana

What is your organizational status?

  • We are a registered for-profit company (including social enterprises).

What is the maturity of your innovation?

  • Existing Prototype or Pilot: I have tested a part of my solution with users and am iterating.

Website

http://sustainablesicialbusiness.wordspress https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1884347598460297&set=a.1884347618460295.1073741831.100006552252572&type=3 https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A
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Attachments (2)

SSB Ltd1.pdf

GAKWAYA Samuel. and.pdf

Inspired by (1)

Home based SRH education to young people: Mother and elder sisters are best educators of SRH to young people.
Home based SRH education to young people: Mother and elder sisters are best educators of SRH to young people.

This inspired (1)

DIY Feminine Hygiene Subscription Service
DIY Feminine Hygiene Subscription Service

10 comments

Join the conversation:

Comment
Photo of Dima Boulad
Team

Hello GAKWAYA Samuel , thanks for this great idea! I like the focus on the affordability of sanitary pads, and how targeted your solution is. Can we have an idea of some of the iterations you are working on, now that you tested them with some users? What was their feedback on the use?

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Photo of GAKWAYA Samuel
Team

i targeted girls and women in schools ,refugees comps and prisons, all those people needs my product but i'n serve them because of low capacity . yes , it tested ,the feedback i got : on my sanitary pads no wings they ask me to add it and also on my packages written information sex education, families planning and hygiene menstruation so they ask me to writ it more in the papers and put it in box package because the written in the box is few according to the needs informations.

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Photo of Dima Boulad
Team

It is interesting that your users have demanded more information! It means that your product is targeting the right people.
It would be a good idea to make more targeted workshops with your users so you can understand fully what kind of information they need, which tone to use in your content, what's the best way to present all this information. They will know better what works for them!

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