BOSIRE: When pads don't work, safe alternatives are not easy to find

When Suki’s daughter started her period at 15, her proud mother patted herself on the back for having prepared well for this day. It came on a Saturday morning and after informing her mother, the girl took a shower and put on her sanitary towel as her mother looked on.

The duo went out to a celebratory lunch to induct the young lady into her new status. This was followed with ice cream, a movie and shopping at her favourite clothing store. But the party was soon nipped in the bud. Suki’s daughter broke out in a fine skin itchy rash in the pubic area and upper thighs that landed her in the hospital emergency room.

It was such a blow! While preparing her daughter to face her periods with ease, it never crossed her mind that the disposable sanitary towels that many women used could be out of bounds for her daughter. She was back at the drawing board to figure out what her daughter could safely and conveniently use.

While Suki’s daughter sat at home in dismay, wearing a wad of cotton wool for a sanitary towel, Suki was up all night on her laptop seeking solutions.

It took a lot of sifting though the mountain of information online to realise that there were several local solutions for her daughter’s problem. Unfortunately, none of the products were available in the local stores!

We need to ask ourselves why the alternatives are not on supermarket shelves and local kiosks. These are products that are not only sustainable, but also environmentally friendly.

You would think that we would be jumping at putting them on shop shelves.

HINDRANCE

A big part of the hindrance has been attaining certification from the Kenya Bureau of Standards, to allow retailing. Three years down the line, most local manufacturers are still struggling to get the precious stamp.

While we are still struggling with the bureaucratic red tape, our neighbours, Tanzania and Uganda, are miles ahead of us. They have certified the very same products and made them available to the public.

There are silicon-based menstrual cups, such as the Ruby Cup, which for every one cup bought, a needy girl is given a cup for free. The Grace Cup, a locally marketed brand, was brought to the market by a passionate Kenyan woman whose desire is to manufacture it fully locally.

There are also reusable sanitary pads, such as AFRIpads, made of unique natural fabric. The pads are washable and waterproof to prevent leakages. They are good for people like Suki’s daughter, who are unable to tolerate synthetic materials.

Better yet are period panties, such as the ones from Nola. It is unique underwear that comes with an inbuilt reusable sanitary towel. All a girl needs is to wear it and go.

We are making slow but sure steps in ensuring that every woman can go through her period hygienically and in a dignified manner.

Let us not leave those who can’t use synthetic pads behind. Make safe alternatives affordable and easily accessible.