Girl and women in empower in Burundi

Girls and young women do not have access to menstrual hygiene products due to the lack of means which have them and among them use unsuitable materials, including used fabrics, rags; herb leaves; fabrics of loincloths and this cause harmful consequences on their menstrual health and thus block their sustainable development. GIRA EJO HEZA means “Have a good future” comes to meet the needs of girls and young women by setting up local manufacturing units of washable and reusable sanitary napkins at community level. GIRA EJO HEZA means "Have a good future" will change the living conditions of girls and young women while creating jobs for the 20,000 girls and women who benefit from this program. Thus, the solution will also respond to the management of waste related to disposable towels and which degrades hygiene and sanitation in communities (Boarding school students, prisons, hospitals)

Girls and women lack hygiene products due to lack of resources to obtain them, 55% of the population has an income of less than $ 1 a day and 64.6% of the population lives below the national poverty. The female population represents 51.1%. 

According to UNICEF in 2016, which revealed that girls and boys 12 and under have unknowledge of menstruation and that 13 and over have little information, 81 % of girls confessed to being afraid during their first period is irrefutable proof that she had sex, 88.3 % of administrators confirm recurrent absences during menstruation, 31.6 % use old loincloths, 45. 3 % use parts of loincloth alternating with single-use protections when possible and 5.9 % of superimposed shorts. This practice causes genital infections and unwanted pregnancies linked to the fact that young girls may seek risky sexual behavior in order to be able to afford this material during their lifetime. To meet these challenges, the local manufacture of sanitary napkins reduces the harmful effects and promotes their management of menstrual health. 

"GIRA EJO HEZA" means "Have a good future" is the solution meets the needs of girls and young women who cannot afford to buy hygienic products due to the lack of expensive disposable towels and are for single use. The solution has just made available these washable and reusable towels locally to help girls and women to obtain them at an affordable cost and these towels for a period of 5 years. The solution facilitates the management of their menstrual health as well as the management of community hygienic waste for environmental protection. We provide jobs for 20,000 girls and women through the production of sanitary napkins in production units and in the sales system across the country. To amplify our solution, training and indications on the production of towels are provided on social networks and the media, the telephone using the sending of simple messages to reinforce theories and practices are done in our production units present in our intervention areas and production tools are the bent machines, wires, fabrics and other materials concerned. Sales and marketing is done online.

In Burundi, girls and young women do not have access to sanitary products to manage their menstrual health. Indeed, the solution then effectively contributes to this sector to solve the problems of their concerns. Not only for menstruation management, but the solution will also provide an income opportunity for 20,000 girls and women who benefit from the program. The solution contributes free of charge to the distribution of sanitary napkins to 20,000 disadvantaged girls and young women, who will be involved in the training, mentoring and coaching program in the production of these sanitary napkins and will also receive other training in order to prepare them in creativity. The solution also includes activities to raise awareness of the sexual and reproductive health of young adolescents in order to break down all the taboo subjects related to our socio-cultural factors.

The solution "GIRA EJO HEZA means "Have a good future" responds to the concerns and needs of girls and young women for good menstrual management. Challenges can include a lack of knowledge about menstruation and discreet used menstrual materials. The solution contributes to learning for the beneficiaries' productivity. By accelerating the innovation of solutions aimed at empowering the next generation of girls and young women so that they are healthy and that the solution closely responds to the size of the number of girls and young women participating in learning and formal and informal training and mentors.

GIRA EJO HEZA "Have a good future" only responds to the management of menstrual health of girls and young women, but innovation is based on the involvement of beneficiaries in any process of making sanitary napkins. Local partners who are already working on menstrual health topics must be identified in order to extend our solution to the national and regional level. Our program requires a synergy of national and international actors. Also the solution is motivating in the implementation because it is both theoretical in the case of training and mentoring of the beneficiaries of the program and also practical in case of production of towels within the units of manufacture of towels "GIRA EJO HEZA" "Have a good future" established in intervention areas. The beneficiaries identified in the manufacturing program will give them an opportunity to generate their income. The towels we produce are cheaper and have a lifespan of 5 years. In addition, the towels and products are biodegradable which differentiates from the existing towels on the market which are disposable, are single use and are more expensive and also pollute the environment and degrade hygiene and sanitation in communities.

The solution is a new approach in Burundi called GIRA EJO HEZA means "Have a good futurethat" responds to the great concerns of girls and young women in the management of their menstrual health and to counteract the social challenges that block the development of girls and women. Not only comes to facilitate the management of menstruation of girls and young women but also an income generating opportunity and in terms of improving their living conditions, we will give 20,000 girls and young women access to employment during the production of sanitary napkins in our production units located in the intervention areas. The basic technology that powers our solution is simple because during the manufacture of towels in our production units. The activities are done by modern technology by electric sewing machine and manual and pedal sewing machine and the other biodegradable raw materials include cotton, fabrics and others. During training and mentoring and awareness, we will integrate the technological aspects via social networks via WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

"GIRA EJO HEZA" means "Have a good future" is a solution for manufacturing washable and reusable local sanitary napkins is new to us in our organization. She has just met the needs of girls and women who lack the means to provide sanitary napkins than to manage their menstrual health well. 

Manufacturing technicals are done using electronic elbow machines and even manual or a pedal elbow machines. It is enough to have the necessary materials to produce these hygienic products. Also, yarns and other biodegradable raw materials are used.For awareness, training and mentor are done using new modern technologies via social networks via WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Our solution has a positive impact on the community and on the girls and young women who benefit from this solution in particular because their needs in terms of managing their menstrual health are met. The solution comes to thwart all these challenges not only for the management of their menstrual health but rather a job opportunity because 20,000 girls and young women are at the heart of the integration in the activities of the production of sanitary napkins within our production units for these towels. Activities related to the development of skills of girls and young women in the management of menstrual health. Activities to promote and strengthen the empowerment of girls and young women involved in the program because they offer training to develop their intelligence and stimulate their mentalities. Activities and outcomes that can be linked 1. Establish 2,000 units of towel production distributed in our intervention areas. This result allows us to organize identification activities and plan well the needs of the beneficiaries for the implementation of the solution. 2. Within one year, we will give employment to the 20,000 girls and young women and 20,000 girls and women who will receive our towels free of charge and will be included in the GIRA EJO HEZA towel production program. This result allows us to organize both theoretical and practical training activities on menstrual health and the production of towels in particular and raise awareness of the program beneficiaries on good menstrual health management, but also mentoring and coaching activities. are at the heart of our solution. 3. Improvement of the living conditions of women and girls benefiting from the solution. It is imperative to set up a monitoring and support framework through employability development programs. This stimulates the beneficiaries of the solution to do well within the framework of entrepreneurial dialogue and intellectual development. Activities aimed at empowering girls and women can improve their living conditions.

• The "GIRA EJO HEZA" solution comes to facilitate the good management of menstrual health of girls and young women who lack sanitary napkins for lack of means to get them.
  It is very important that we continue to give sufficient information to as many girls and young women as regards menstrual health. Because they see her periods as a curse while it shows that they are able to procreate. Instead, make them feel comfortable because girls and women see rules and they take pride in their lives. Indeed, it is essential that girls and young women must be supported in this sector to enjoy their right to menstrual health. 
• In addition, since six months of launching our program "GIRA EJO HEZA" there is a step already taken since the launch of our program in order to facilitate the management of menstrual health of girls and young women beneficiaries because 10,000 girls and young women have been trained on the development of knowledge and skills in menstrual health issues as well as the management of their menstruation. 
• By the end of 2020, we aim to train 20,000 girls and women and in the next five years we aim to reach 100,000 girls and women directly beneficiaries of the "GIRA EJO HEZA" program.

 

Our organization aims to serve training to more than 20,000 Burundian girls and women in one year and in 5 years, we hope that we will reach 100,000 girls and young women. Also, in five years, we want to distribute free of charge to 60,000 disadvantaged girls and young women and will be included in the manufacturing program for these Sanitary Napkins. The global approach is at the heart of our solution to achieve our objectives. In addition, beneficiaries will have the opportunity to have training, coaching and mentor to develop their skills in this area and those who receive our sanitary towels for free will be integrated into the manufacture of these towels in our production units located in our intervention areas. The opportunities for the beneficiaries is that the towels produced are the ones that will benefit from them during the sale and will be an income-generating activity and their living conditions will improve both in terms of managing their menstrual health and in their family life . Also, the performance of girls who are absent during their menstrual period will increase other illnesses or infections related to the use of inappropriate materials will decrease further.

• On the financial level, the means may prevent us from carrying out our programs on a large scale.
• At the technical level, we have barriers for the implementation of this program because the manufacturing materials come abroad this limits the ex-cessible production capacity of these sanitary napkins The taboo linked to culture during our training in sexual and reproductive health, particularly menstrual health in girls and young women. 
• Another factor that arises is socio-political instability, but since our activities are apolitical, this never prevents us from overcoming this barrier. 
•  Legal barriers are worthless because everything is under jurisdiction, we want to comply with the law. 
• Regarding trade barriers, we will monitor who makes sure that our towels are cheaper compared to those that are disposable or single use. Also, the price increases of fuels and other related products in this sector. 

• On the financial level, the means may prevent us from carrying out our programs on a large scale.
• At the technical level, we have barriers for the implementation of this program because the manufacturing materials come abroad this limits the ex-cessible production capacity of these sanitary napkins The taboo linked to culture during our training in sexual and reproductive health, particularly menstrual health in girls and young women. 
• Another factor that arises is socio-political instability, but since our activities are apolitical, this never prevents us from overcoming this barrier. 
•  Legal barriers are worthless because everything is under jurisdiction, we want to comply with the law. 
• Regarding trade barriers, we will monitor who makes sure that our towels are cheaper compared to those that are disposable or single use. Also, the price increases of fuels and other related products in this sector.

ARFH-Burundi has a technical and competent team capable of executing projects funded by donors. Its team is multidisciplinary which allows us to execute various projects well. Thanks to funding from the Association of Volunteers for Family and Community Development (AVDF in acronym), ARFH-Burundi currently houses two listening training and support centers thanks to the support of "AVDF" partner organization. So, if the solution is part of the solutions to be funded by the Solve community, the team of the solution affected in the implementation of that solution is independent to properly carry out these activities

Our Organization has a permanent team for the implementation of this project are in addition: The following people are those who will be involved in the implementation of the solution 

 The Full-time staff: 

• Anny Kelly: +25761931242; 
• Zénon NIYOYITUNGIRA: +25779812992; 
• Thierry NKURIKIYE: +25771216061; 
• Mrs. Goreth NDAYIKEJE: +25771467517; 
• Adrien SABIMANA: +25779402940 

The Part-time staff: 

• Alexis NDAYISHIMIYE: +257382919; 
• Alain NKURUNZIZA: +25771422596;
•  Dr Cédric NIYONGABO: +25779896578; 
• Solange NIJIMBERE: +257733240; 
• INARUKUNDO Mervis: +25779866720; 
• NKENGURUTSE Ernest: +25779799812 

The other workers: 

• BIGIRINDAVYI Cédric: +257 423 134; 
• Donatien DUKUNDANE: +25779558639

• Personally as executive director and my team, we are passionate about carrying out various projects in the area of sexual and reproductive health, particularly menstrual health. 
• And as the solution is included in our knowledge development programs in the field of sexual and reproductive health, particularly menstrual health, this will allow us to get started on the more taboo things in the implementation of this solution. 
• Our multidisciplinary team marks the ARFH-Burundi team to be proud in carrying out the activities. 
• Also, we are used to organizing, conducting activities bringing together a lot of people. We have a dynamic team accustomed to collaborating with the lessor anyway. 
• Thus, sessions, workshops, training and reflections for the benefit of our beneficiaries are as usual in our organization.

ARFH-Burundi is an organization which shelters two training centers with materials of descent on the ground that pushes us to receive several collaborating organizations. For the moment ARFH-Burundi a range of various program partnerships. 

•  In our three programs in particular: 
•  1. SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH  
• 2. HIV/AIDS/STI/TB/Malaria 
•  3. Violence Sexual Based gender and Violence Based Gender   

We currently have the following partnerships: Association for Volunteers for Family and Community Development Organization for intervention in case of risks and contingencies Action for the Promotion of Public Health in Burundi, Iteba Community Center, Bolg Generation Association Together for sustainable and inclusive development in Burundi

Our Organization works not only on sexual and reproductive health but also on empowerment programs for women and girls. Hence our solution aims to create opportunities improving the lives of girls and women beneficiaries of the solution. Our solution brings added value because it contributes to the good management of menstrual health of girls and young women who lack the resources to obtain sanitary pads and prefer to use inappropriate materials and this has harmful consequences on their menstrual health, especially genital infections and other behaviors adapted in certain young girls because they resort to sexuality towards ill-intentioned men in order to have the funds to buy them. Another important factor is that the solution does not only come to meet menstrual health management but become an income opportunity for the beneficiaries and this improves the conditions of the beneficiaries and the family of their provenance. Our beneficiaries are girls and young women who need towels to manage their menstruation, Civil society organizations involved in humanitarian action and social development, Organizations of the United Nations system. The products we supply are locally produced washable and reusable sanitary napkins. These products are the primary needs of girls and young women during their menstrual period and are the needs of this period and they must benefit from them at a lower cost. that is to say accessible to any woman and girl and that facilitate a good management of her menstruation.

Our organization is a civil society organization that works on a not-for-profit basis but has an operational strategy including an internal organizational structure and external partnerships that are essential to create the expected impact of the organization. A strategy of resources which defines where and the conditions of our organization will acquire the resources (financial and human) which it needs to do its work especially the activities related to this solution are socio economic and our organization wants to invest in this sector to meet the challenges related to the inaccessibility of hygienic products which need it quite a lot of people for several times this does not prevent these challenges from being countered. How then to bring income in our solution, first, there is the investment during the start of the manufacturing or production of these products, jobs were given and purchase of production materials but after the sales are made on a basis comparison with already usable products and our products will be cheaper and durable. In the long run, we plan to export our products regionally and even internationally.

We find that once my solution and my team can respond to the challenges that block the development of girls and women car instead of being proud of their menstrual health they find that it is a problem of their living condition at because of this lack of means to get these towels. Of course, our solution responds significantly to the empowerment of women and girls and this will impact the whole community as well as their family of origin. In this case, I find that the Resolve community is there for the development of the marginalized community, which requires that once our solution meets the criteria of Solve, nothing will prevent us from being supported for the implementation of this solution.

The Partnership Objectives help us achieve our objectives and the partnership with the Solve community will allow us to deploy our solution on a large scale. The manufacturing program for these sanitary napkins will help to break down all the obstacles that block the development of girls and young women, but also break all taboo subjects related to sexual and reproductive health, particularly menstrual health. Also, the partnership helps us to support our activities of implementation of our solution and to extend our program on the sub regional scene and to the whole world.

We are creating partnerships during the implementation of this project with other local organizations that have objectives similar to our objectives that will allow us to reach many of the targets, particularly in our community. A multifactorial platform to promote lobbying and advocacy is at the heart of our solution in order to eliminate all the barriers that may prevent us from achieving our objectives. Also, a consultation framework with the representative of MIT Solve is put in place. We will associate with organizations of Burundian society during implementation and these organizations are: Association of Volunteers for Family and Community Development, Action for the Promotion of Public Health, CARE INTERNATIONAL BURUNDI, Burundian Youth for Development, Association Bold Generation, Health Protection and Community Development Initiative, Iteba Community Center, Together for Sustainable and Inclusive Development in Burundi, Society for Community Development

 The Women's Innovation Award could help us impact the female community (girls and women) who lack the means to provide sanitary pads to manage their menstrual health well. The challenges of the fact that the management of their menstrual health is difficult because they do not use inappropriate materials (cloths of loincloths, leaves of grass, sand, used fabrics, rags) and they are victims of genital infections and unwanted pregnancies the fact that girls resort to sexuality to obtain the cost of purchasing these towels. So our solution comes to answer all these challenges related to the lack of these products by locally manufacturing washable and reusable sanitary napkins for girls and young women to facilitate their good management of their menstrual health. The solution greatly contributes to the empowerment of women and girls who are involved in our program by providing an income-generating opportunity for 10,000 girls and young women who are involved in the production of towels in our production units which will be located in our intervention areas. The solution also gives a community impact because the towels produced locally will be accessible to all girls and women who need a cheaper cost with a duration of 5 years. In fact, 15,000 disadvantaged girls and young women identified and will receive our sanitary towels free of charge. The management of waste related to towels in the community is well controlled