LMF Inner Girl Foundation

On July 3, the Last-Mile-First Development Organisation and InnerGirl Foundation launched a joint initiative to tackle a critical, often overlooked reality: Access to menstrual products for women and adolescent girls.

This partnership grew from community feedback during our Pay4Shower rollout:

Alongside hygiene needs, people voiced an urgent call for menstrual support. When products are missing, school days are lost, opportunities shrink, and dignity suffers.

Findings from nationally and city-representative surveys show that menstruation drives absence from both school and work across West Africa (Hennegan et al, 2021), directly undermining their right to education and equal opportunities - this does not have to be the case. It should not be the case. It must not be the case!

Our response: a pilot with Namibian-made reusable pads.

• 10 women and girls are testing comfort, durability, and ease of use.
• Their feedback will shape how we scale. So solutions are practical, respectful, and real-life ready.

But this is more than distribution. It’s sustainability and empowerment:

• Teach self-sufficiency, not dependency.
• Train women to produce pads locally, creating paths to microenterprise and ownership.

This is the first step, not the last. Together with InnerGirl Foundation, we will expand what works, protecting education, health, and confidence.

Where access creates dignity, and dignity creates opportunity.