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

Breaking the Silence with the Police on the Road to Ngoma

Business Development Officer Sylvere (at left)
Photo Credit: Perttu Saralampi

SHE is getting into an amazing phase of production of our LaunchPads. The pads will be produced in the Ngoma district, more precisely at the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Center (IPRC) in the Eastern Region. 

Check out these photos of our production site in Ngoma!

Even the police officers are excited about our LaunchPad!

While on route to delivering our industrial-scale machinery to our production site, our truck was stopped about six times by the Rwanda National Traffic Police.  The police grilled me about what we were carrying in the back of the truck, but I simply responded that, “I am carrying a huge machine to deliver to IPRC East.”  They then asked “What is this machine for?” and I explained that it’s will be used to make KOTEX (Pads) and all them said, “KOTEX making in Rwanda?” And I said “Yes, my company will be producing pads in Rwanda!” I even took advantage of the moment to explain about the taboos associated with menstruation. The most impressive thing that I noticed in them is that they were all interested in hearing more about what we do. So even police officers have some learning to do when it comes to menstruation!

Among the police officers that stopped me along the way, five of the officers were also women. I have since learned that 30% of Rwanda national police are women.  I now wonder how these female officers manage their period while working. Officers are always on the move and sometimes are stationed in areas where they have no access to toilets. 

While during our pilot SHE will be delivering pads to rural school girls, once SHE scales up, we should also consider the needs of our police women too.

By the way, our production site is nearly complete! Everyone that I meet can’t wait to see the LaunchPad, such an innovative product that is being made in Rwanda. Sawa!

- Sylvere
Business Development Officer, Rwanda