A few more additions to the SHE holiday office party

Earlier this year, we set up shop for our large-scale production in the Ngoma district. In the past few months, we have built out our factory, added electricity and water, installed our machinery, and have successfully produced fluff! These are huge wins!

Now, we are on our way to making pads, and we have built a great team at our Ngoma production site. Without further ado, meet our latest SHE Trailblazers that are part of Team SHE!

Scroll below to learn more about Nadine, Gaudence, Sandrine, Marie Louise Umulisa, Ernestine, Marie Louise Murereyimana, Christine, and Sam!


Nadine (first photo): My name is Nadine and I am passionate about learning new things. Before joining SHE, I was working as an accountant at Anglican church. What I like about SHE's work is that I making products with my hands. I want to pursue my studies in technology because with technology things always change. I also like fashion. In my free time, I like to sing, follow fashion trends and watch movies.

Gaudence (at left in second photo): My name is Gaudence but everyone calls me Mimi. I studied literature and linguistics at secondary school. Prior to joining SHE, I was working as a matron in at a boarding school in Matimba. I am glad that I am learning how to make pads, since it's a very useful product that I can't live without each month. I like that SHE is making pads at an affordable price. In my free time, I like to pray, help my parents with house work, and to sing in a choir. My dream is to have a happy family and be able to provide all things that my children need.

Sandrine (at right in second photo): My name is Sandrine. I am married with 3 children - I have 1 boy and 2 girls. At school, I studied electricity. I am very excited to be a SHE employee because I want to pursue my career in the technical field.

When I heard about SHE and its work, I thought it would be a nice place for me to work for as a woman. Usually no one talks about menstruation in public and I like that SHE is trying to change things. My dream is to continue my studies in a technical field. This is my first time working in a factory and I am proud of that because I was once told that women could never work in a factory. I'm glad that SHE has now made that possible.

Marie Louise U (third photo with banana fiber): I am married and have two children, a daughter and a son. Prior to joining SHE, I had a small shop selling food. I am a local leader in charge of development in my village. Since joining SHE, my life has changed. I have made new friends among my colleagues and decided to return to school to learn English.

When I tell my friends that I work at the factory that makes pads, they are impressed and this makes me feel proud. My dream is to pursue my studies in community development and launch an organization that assists people like SHE.

Ernestine (fourth photo): Before working with SHE, I was working with Tigo as a money transfer agent. I like being a part of SHE because it deals with menstruation and help people to have access to pads. I also enjoy that I am learning new things on the job.

In my free time, I like hanging out with friends, and singing in a choir. My dream is to pursue my studies in sociology and become an entrepreneur.

Christine (fifth photo): I studied Information and Technology at secondary school and worked as a salesperson for a fertilizer company. SHE has given me the opportunity to learn new things and also help my community.

Many people still lack access to the right information about menstruation so it's important that SHE continue to take the lead and inform people. In the future, I would like to build a nice house for my parents and pursue my studies. 

Marie Louise M. (sixth photo wearing a mask): I am married and have one son. What I liked about SHE is that it employs women to work in a factory. It is unusual for women to be working in a factory since many bosses fear that when a woman become pregnant, she will not work as hard as a man.

I also serve as a community health worker in my village. I have realized that menstruation itself is not a problem; the problem is that girls and women do not know how to manage it. 

Ever since I was young, I dreamt of becoming a doctor. Although I am not one, I am happy to be working in the health sector. Today I dream of working hard to be able to support my family and to have a happy life.

Samuel (last photo): At secondary school, I studied car mechanics. Before joining SHE, I worked in a hair salon that I also own. I like my job at SHE because it fits with my career goals. I am learning new things and also enjoy my colleagues.

Let's toast to pad production machines in Rwanda!

For those of you who have run the SHE race with us, the journey has been long but you can raise your glasses and let's toast to our pad production machines arriving in Rwanda. We are ready to launch the "LaunchPad!"

Since January 2013, I have been feeling like an expecting mother; from procuring machines to finding shippers to the nearest port of entry to Rwanda and after 2 months of waiting; the machines finally landed a month ago. The excitement, the anxiety, etc, took all  the better of me. Just the sight of the machines drove my passion even deeper.

Julian geeking out with one of our pad production machines!

Now that the machines are settled, our energy is high again with the recruitment and training of the local technicians. Exciting!

In other news, for the past 4 weeks, the Rwanda office has been buzzing with activity from the entire SHE team, well part of the team (SHE is more than just NY and Rwanda office). 

Julian, Jackie, and CeCe 

Cece, Connie and Elizabeth have been hanging out in the Rwanda office immersing themselves in a range of things from creating menstrual health manuals to testing the pad brand to visiting the production sites and pausing for pictures, of course we also made sure we took pictures of the only SHE staff members who loves asking for pictures but not taking them, Connie! 

SHE Team Minus CeCe!

Hurraaayyy!

-Julian, SHE Rwanda COO

Lydia Singerman, Global SHE Intern, Speaks out about SHE!

Just to give a little background, I am a current junior at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine who hails from NYC. I am a Gender and Women’s Studies major and Chemistry minor. I love hiking, swimming, reading, biking, running, and listening to music (Mumford and Sons and Florence and the Machine are some of my favorites right now). Last semester I studied abroad at the University of Ghana; while abroad I took classes (West African dance and drumming), traveled across the country (as well as to Togo and South Africa), and volunteered at a local orphanage.

 

Since my return from Ghana, I have worked with CeCe (shown at right), SHE's COO, Global, and Elizabeth, SHE’s CIO and Founder, on a variety of projects. Every Thursday, I walk, bike, or hike through the snow to CeCe’s kitchen table (SHE’s Maine outpost), a local café or library where we roll up sleeves and we madly work away. I have since completed a DIY technical guide based on our partnerships with MIT, North Carolina State, and Innovation Edge. This technical guide is now being used in Rwanda to help replicate the process.

 

This summer I take on a great project for the health side of things. I will be splitting my time between Brunswick and NYC while I work to create an open source menstrual health and hygiene best practices resource for the launch of SHE’s new website. In Summer 2011, I worked as a sex educator in Newark, NJ and I am excited to apply my experience in creating this resource for others to use.

At SHE I am constantly learning new things and being challenged. It puts a large smile on my face knowing that I am part of an amazing global SHE team.  Knowing my time and hard work makes a difference in the life of a girl and a woman is a great feeling. Knowing that my work is being used worldwide gives me a strong sense of pride and accomplishment; I am constantly motivated by the millions of girls and women across the world who lack access to menstrual pads and lack of general knowledge. This is why I joined SHE.