This Company Wants to Help Girls In Developing Countries Manage Menstruation and Stay In School — All Through A Pair of Panties

More than 8 million girls in Sub-Saharan Africa miss one week of school every month to manage their menstrual cycle. Sadly, many girls drop out altogether once they start their period. The people behind the company Khana want to change that. The company’s co-founder, Shayna Fowler, moved to East Africa as a young adult and met a 16-year-old girl, Esther, whose inability to manage menstruation kept her from an education. It was Esther’s story that moved Shayna to found Khana and launch a buy one-get one period-proof panty initiative.

Many women in Uganda don’t have access to feminine hygiene products. Instead, they use mud, rags, or leaves to stop bleeding — causing discomfort and even infection. Khana aims to design a period-proof panty to help these girls stay in school. For every pair you buy, a period-proof pair is given to a girl in need. And get this — Khana manufactures 100 percent of the period-proof panties in Uganda, creating jobs in the communities where the product will be used.

The group launched their Kickstarter in October 2018 and met their $75,000 goal in November. Production of the panties started in November.

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This story was originally featured in Issue 06 of the Goodnewspaper.

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