PUM supports Society Empowerment Project Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) program

The Society Empowerment Project addresses societal issues through developmental sports in Homabay County, Kenya. This can be achieved through partnerships, donations and grants from different organizations.

Over the past 40 years, PUM has made a positive impact on 45,000 small and medium-sized businesses in developing countries and emerging markets.

PUM works with around 100 different partners, such as Dutch and local companies, NGOs, governments, business support organizations, universities etc. They help each other to reach goals and make an impact on medium-sized and small companies in developing countries and emerging markets.

PUM Netherlands partnered with the Society Empowerment Project – Kenya, to empower our Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) program.

The SRHR & MHM department envisions ending period poverty in Homabay county by making quality, affordable, available, reusable and washable sanitary pads.

PUM Netherlands supports this program by donating high end embroidery interlocking sewing machines to be used by SEP to make quality reusable sanitary pads, remotely.

PUM Netherlands, through a PUM textile expert Lise Bossink, came to Kenya for a 10days workshop. During the workshop, Lise trained a total of 8 participants  on how to assemble, maintain and use the interlocking sewing machine to make different stitches, how to draw, trace, cut and sew fabric into sanitary pads, and how to choose specific quality fabric for the pads.

Most of the participants are teenage mothers, some of whom dropped out of school due to poverty and could not afford school fees. It is the vision of SEP to offer entrepreneurial skills to the said beneficiaries, while also looking into Early Child Development friendly environments to support their children, while they are on with the training and or production process.

By the end of the workshop, the participants had gained more skills on sewing and fabric choices. These skills will go a long way into making reusable sanitary pads for the less privileged girls and young women in Homabay county. Additionally, the skills offer economic empowerment to the beneficiaries as they could use this to generate income of their own and for the organization. 

Once the ladies are empowered, they will be supported to start up their own business hubs, for economic empowerment.  We are grateful for the SEP and PUM partnership, as together we can achieve so much more!