To the rescue with sanitary pads

At only 22, Grace Ochieng has blazed the trail with New Visions Sewing Cooperative, which brings together village tailors to sew sanitary pads for poor girls. She spoke JOSEPHINE OPAR

Her epitaph profile should read: born to lead, lives in the real world, and is interested in positive change. Grace Ochieng started work on her Sh800,000 project, New Visions Sewing Co-operative, last year. That same year, she was invited to attend the prestigious Clinton Global Initiative university conference in April, to receive an award for her work in Lwala village, Western Kenya.

"I looked around the village and realised that many women had sewing skills but could not put their skills to use due to lack of resources. So I came up with the perfect project that would earn them income and improve life for girls in the village," she says. And at 22, she is managing the huge responsibility of empowering women both older and younger than herself in Lwala to sew. She targets primary school girls.

Some of the sanitary pads manufactured.

With regard to marketing, she says: "Girls in high school think they are too cool to use reusable pads and many who can’t afford to buy sanitary towels are also embarrassed to buy ours, which are sewn. Also, we cannot compete with the big players in the industry. This has meant securing any small market we get."

Despite having lived abroad for over seven years, this Diaspora darling is still attached to her roots in western Kenya. She may have left the country for the US at 14, a year after her mother passed away, but her African identity is still in tact — as is her Dholuo and Kiswahili.

Grace is preparing for her finals in Chile, where she spent the spring semester in her study-abroad program. She is on full scholarship at St Lawrence University, New York.

Says she: "I have learned to keep moving and go for my dreams. I take the constructive criticism and drop the rest."

Grace may be 22, but her strength of character and community service are a testament to the potential of our young Kenyan citizens.