Coming to the aid of women

WANGECHI KARIUKI is selling a revolutionary medical devise that could make a huge difference to women in Kenya and in the region. She spoke to NJOKI CHEGE

Wangechi Kariuki had always dreamed of being in business, but never in her wildest dreams had she thought she would end up doing the trade she is doing now.

It all began after she delivered her second child two years ago and she found that she could barely move her pelvic muscles.

"Even while I was pregnant, I found it extremely difficult to do the pelvic floor exercises as prescribed to me by the doctor. After delivery, I still found it difficult to exercise the muscles. I therefore needed a solution that could help me achieve a strong pelvic floor," she says.

Wangechi is shunning age-old taboos and providing a solution to a problem that has plagued African women for decades. [Photo: okwiri/standard]

Exercise devices.

In an attempt to find a solution, Wangechi begun a serious search for devices that could help her do the exercises. She then stumbled upon Kegel8 exercise devices, which promised to strengthen her pelvic floor.

"I asked my doctor about it but he had no clue about those devices. I decided to use them, and I was impressed. I thought, there are so many women out there with pelvic floor disorders that could be resolved by the Kegel8 exercise devices," she offers

With this knowledge, she had uncovered a solution to a problem that very many women face.

"Many women with weak pelvic floors due to weak kegel muscles suffer in silence with conditions such as bladder incontinence (weak control of the bladder). Many women who have carried pregnancies and especially those with multiple child births have their pelvic floors weakened by the weight of the pregnancies, as well as the birth process," says Wangechi.

A notch higher

The Kegel8 pelvic health devices is a modern neuromuscular stimulators (STIM) developed with the aim of achieving optimum pelvic health for women.

Although these devices have been in use for decades in the Western world, it they found their way to Kenya only recently.

And among those who are clearing a path for the machines is Wangechi, who is selling the devices through her company. And she says they have since been flying off the shelves as women become aware of their health, particularly when it comes to the pelvic floor. "The devices come in different variations: there those manual and electronic that run on batteries," she says.

First in line is the Kegel8 exercise cone that consists of three assorted cones of sizes weighing 24, 37, and 48 grams.

"You start with the largest and the lightest cone. You insert it in the vagina and use the clench, unclench method of exercise. Then you move on to the second lightest cone (37 grams), and then to the heaviest and smallest cone weighing 48 grams," explains Wangechi.

When you insert the cone into the vagina, the pelvic floor muscles contract and squeeze around it to hold it in place, instantly strengthening the pelvic floor.

"When you can do this exercise for 20 minutes without breaking a sweat, then you are good to go." She says.

The other variation is the Kegel8 ultra plus — an electronic device that consists of a slim probe inserted into the vagina. The devise has 14 electronic programmes, that were made and devised by a physician to eradicate all levels of pelvic weakness, from stress incontinence to those brought about by surgery.

Pelvic floor

"You can choose whatever programme you want, and have a 20 minutes workout. This has absolutely no pleasurable sensation, and it is only used for exercising the pelvic floor muscles," warns Wangechi.

According to Wangechi, the Kegel8 exercise machines can be used anywhere and at any time.

"These exercises can be done from the comfort of your living room and even in the office," she says.

The devices retail at anything between Sh5,000 to Sh27,000. Her company, Rukiya Dash and Beauty, has been granted exclusive distribution rights to market the product range in five countries, (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia).

Her clientele is made up of women above the age of 30 years, but of a couple of men have also been streaming in to buy the products for their wives and girlfriends.

"I believe this business has great potential. We have barely scratched the surface." she says.

While the Kegel8 devices have proved their worth among thousands of women worldwide, Wangechi admits that it has been tough pushing a product that touches on a taboo subject in the African culture.

"Women are still struggling with a condition that many of them barely know about, let alone the fact that it touches on a ‘taboo’ subject. Pushing this kind of device goes hand-in-hand with education," she says.