the pad that unlocks opportuntity
Igitoki (ee-gee-toh-chee): Kinyarwandan word for banana
made from all-natural materials
100% biodegradable
5-10x more absorbent than regular pads
1 in 10 girls in africa miss school during their periods
A pack of pads cost over half a day’s wages for many African girls, discouraging them from attending school and work. This creates a significant educational divide between men and women and paves way for multi-generational social inequity.
The Solution
harnessing the magic of the igitoki
Taking the banana waste from farms, pseudostems of the stems are put through a machine that extracts the raw, cream-colored fibers. The fibers then undergo a harmful-chemical-free delignification process to turn it into a softer fluff, making it suitable as an ultra-asborbent core for a menstrual pad.
The igitoki plant thus gets regenerated from a cultural staple into an all-natural, chemical-free alternative to petroleum based conventional pads, keeping girls safe from toxic materials while making the planet liveable for their futures.
Igitoki Pads are assembled in small-scale facility in Rwamagana, Rwanda. Recently-graduated students are employed and given fair wages while learning skills necessary for future careers including sewing and heat pressing.
With the help of local organizations, Igitoki Pads are distributed to local schools free of charge
A total of 250 Rwandan girls receive a pack of twenty pads every month. With the social and economic burden lifted, girls are able to stay in school and pursue their dreams, bridging the gender divide in Africa
