'Amazing Grace' empowers women to make and sell sanitary pads in South Sudan

MINNEAPOLIS — Originally from Zimbabwe, Grace Tshuma works as Project Coordinator for Alight's South Sudan program. Alight is headquartered in Minneapolis but serves around 3.5 million people in around 20 countries worldwide.

While working in the remote county of Budi, South Sudan, Tshuma noticed a problem facing women and girls.

"These women could not do their normal activities when it comes to the time of menstruation and most of these girls could not go to school whenever they had menses because they did not have anything to use," Tshuma said.

Tshuma says they can't afford to buy proper products. Keep in mind, South Sudan is the newest country in the world.

"They would use ways that are not safe for them," Tshuma said. "They would put the leaves together, tie them on their waist because they don't even have panties. They also told me that they would go and dig a hole where they would just sit on that hole just to allow the flow to go into that hole."

But Tshuma has a plan. It's one reason colleagues call her "Amazing Grace."

"This is the reusable sanitary pad," Tshuma said during a demonstration Tuesday. "It has two fasteners."

She's raising $20,000 not just to cover the cost of materials imported from neighboring Uganda, but also to train South Sudanese women on how to make the pads and sell them for about $3 each.

"Let's work together to help these women return their dignity," Tshuma said.

Grace is about halfway to her goal. If you're interested in helping, donations can be made here^[1].