Positive Environmental Impact of our Positive Period Project in Sierra Leone

In 2019, we set up our Positive Periods project in Sierra Leone. It is a sustainable solution to the need for menstruation protection products and health education that is accessible to all, including women and girls in remote areas with low income. By learning to make re-usable period pads from local materials, and tackling the stigma attached to periods through education, communities in Sierra Leone can share their knowledge and empower women and girls to take control of their lives. Girls can miss up to a quarter of their school education because they don’t have an adequate way of managing their periods, and are often told to stay at home during menstruation.

 

 

The Environmental Impact of Periods


Another very significant challenge is that for those who can afford shop bought disposable sanitary protection there is no way to properly dispose of these pads and they can end up in open landfill areas near to habitation and ultimately cause a health concern. Disposable pads do not disintegrate. Most menstrual pads are made from 90% plastic. It takes nearly 500-800 years for one sanitary pad to decompose as the sanitary pad's plastic is non-biodegradable. They also contain super-absorbent polymers (SAP), which don't decompose. They gradually break down into what are known as micro-plastics, which contaminate soil, water and air. They also enter the food chain injecting toxins into the food humans and animals consume.

 

There is also a huge carbon footprint that goes into making these products. Sanitary pads contain volatile organic compounds and phthalates and, according to a new study, continued, long-term exposure to these, a significant amount of these harmful chemicals could be absorbed into the body. Women around the world are concerned about the products they use and this is the case in Sierra Leone, we have interviewed many women who do not want to use disposable sanitary pads for this reason alone, not just the cost.




The aims of the Positive Periods Project


In an interview with Isata, the coordinator of the project, we wanted to explore life for women and girls before the Positive Periods Project.


Similarly to many countries, Sierra Leone suffers from an unequal literacy rate gap between their male and female citizens: in 2018, male literacy rates were 51.65% while female literacy rates were only 34.85%. This divide is a result of a range of factors including teen pregnancies, attitudes towards girls education, gender equality, access to health education and even the distances of schools from homes. 


During the interview with Isata regarding life before the project, she explained that the embarrassment and taboo of menstruation and the development of female bodies also aided the lack attendance of girls to school. The fear of bleeding in class and the responses from not only their male peers but also their teachers, leads to girls to opting to stay at home, and in many instances, they are asked to stay home when menstruating.


One of the aims of the Positive Periods Project is to teach girls, women, boys and men how to make sustainable, re-usable period pads from local materials, to reduce the cost and the waste caused by disposable pads. This ensures that girls will always have access to period pads when they need them during menstruation because they can make them themselves.


Importantly the other aim of the project is to educate both men and women about gender equality, women’s health and development, and help remove the taboo around menstruation and the development of female bodies, to create a more excepting and fairer environment for both girls and women. This project has also been extended in some schools to include Gender Based Violence awareness and prevention training for teachers, and sexual health education and awareness for girls.



Implementation of the Project


During the interview with Isata, she reflected on how initially it was difficult to get schools to comply with the project. Factors such as limited government funding and the ingrained taboo towards women’s health among the communities contributed to this difficulty. To overcome these initial challenges Istata understood that the way to encourage people to engage is to ‘deliver with passion’. This was how she was able to get people to listen and make them aware aware of the importance of this situation, not only sustainable period products, but also women’s health, education and wellbeing. Those involved must truly believe it and teach with emotion.


The Steve Sinnott Foundation has launched the PPP in different areas of the globe and each community adapts it to fit their needs, their local circumstances and national issues. Within Sierra Leone, the types of volunteers, the specific needs of the teachers and the girls Isata talked to in the schools, along with the affordable materials they had access to, helped develop the project in the direction it needed to go to suit the specific needs of the recipients.


During the global Coronavirus pandemic the number of volunteers and access to materials decreased. Despite this, the project managed to persevere due to the prior training of teachers conducted before.


The training process for the project started with winning over the headteachers of 15 schools in 4 regions of Sierra Leone. This led to two teachers from each school, being invited to the workshop where they were taught how to make the re-usable period pads, and taught by psychologists and economists about womens health and the economic and environmental impacts of the project.


During the interview Isata emphasised that it was important that both male and female teachers were included in the workshop to break the taboo around womens’ health and bodies, to promote gender equality.





Results of the Project


Following the start-up of the Positive Period Project in Sierra Leone in 2019, Isata has recorded the influential changes that are currently being seen as a result.


To ensure the teacher training workshops are successful, teachers had to evidence that they would be able to pass on what they had learnt to the other teachers in their schools and to their students. In this way the training is cascaded down through the communities. Isata is then able to visit these schools to follow up and make sure that the training has been passed on and the girls are benefiting from this, and running additional workshops with pupils at school. She explained that other organisations had made the mistake of offering training, but not following up, so in many cases the training was not passed on and there was limited benefit. Working with The Steve Sinnott Foundation she was able to convey this concern and we made sure that following up was an integral part of the project.


Isata has been able to overcome the initial resistance and connect to the communities in Sierra Leone. She has been able to help the teachers to overcome the challenges they have faced in cascading the training down through their communities and make sure that the knowledge is passed on. In this way she has seen the numbers of girls benefiting from this work increase to an estimated 5 thousand in the three years that it has been running.


Overall, the project has been a success with Sierra Leone. Girls are now more willing to go to school during menstruation, they feel safer knowing that their teachers understand and are supporting them to do this. In many schools there are now reporting systems in place for girls to use if they feel unsafe or threatened as their bodies change and gain the attention of boys and men in their communities and school. As they become less embarrassed about menstruation and their bodies, and more aware of their rights and how to access them, girls are changing their attitude and expectations. This results in male teachers and students changing their mindsets towards women and girls, their health and menstruation.


One more outcome of the project is that women and girls are seeing the economic opportunity for themselves too. Some are acting on the potential to create an income from selling the re-usable pads they are making, and that offers them more independence and self-reliance too.





The Future of the project


After two years of the Positive Period Project running in Sierra Leone Isata has some big plans on how to develop this to ensure that it reaches more than the four regions that it is currently targeting.


Ideas on the expansion of the project in Sierra Leone include creating centres where women can access the materials necessary to create their own period pads, and information around womens’ health, pregnancy and gender equality, instead of only targeting schools. This could become an entrepreneurial venture to help women earn their own income, from learning how to make re-usable pads and how to run their own entrepreneurial enterprise. This was inspired by the pandemic when many started profiting from making sustainable masks to sell.


To support this next chapter, Isata needs more sewing machines for each local area, or centre. To create pads on a larger scale, more materials are needed, and tools such as scissors and clips. They also face other challenges including the lack of funding, which limits each school workshop to 30 children rather than 150, and the limited amount of material resulting in teachers expecting this to be provided with their training, all need to be resolved before the expansion of the overall project.





What next?


With the success of the Positive Period Project in Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Cuba and Haiti, we are aiming to enable more countries to benefit from this project.


It benefits women and girls in an economic way, enables them to access their education and not have to take time off, but as well as that, it benefits the environment. This is a win win project, benefiting women and the environment, which ultimately benefits the whole human race and opens up the future prospects for the entire planet.

 

Who knows, with an estimated 2 billion menstrual items being flushed down Britain's toilets each year, maybe women and girls in the UK would like to be involved in this benefit too. Exploratory workshops run here were successful and opened up the conversation around period poverty in wealthier countries, as well as women’s commitment to a more environmentally friendly way of managing our periods.





You can support our Positive Periods Project here


Steve Sinnott • November 8, 2021

Sustainable Development Goal 4

By Matthew Round • June 4, 2025
Defining Success in Education: Bridging Gaps for a Better Future Education is often seen as the gateway to personal and societal advancement through personal betterment. But defining success in education requires a deeper understanding than just academic achievement, it isn’t just about qualifications or certificates. Rather educational success is about ensuring access to learning that is inclusive, equitable and quality-driven. It’s about equipping students with critical thinking skills and the space to be creative. A quality education fosters holistic approaches, promoting emotional, social and intellectual growth. On a societal level, educational success is about ensuring we value and appreciate a society wide distribution of knowledge and skills; that diversity of thought can be just as important as orthodoxy. Ensuring Access to Education that Meets Individual Needs Traditional western forms of education based within on e-size-fits all models are inadequate in a world where learners have diverse backgrounds, abilities and needs. A shift is needed away from the top-down deficit model approaches which assume teaching and learning is transactional or akin to filling empty vessels, or as Paulo Freire described it, the Banking Model of teaching. Success in education will come from programmes that respect differences between individuals and across communities, using, for example, adaptive learning approaches. Additionally, integrating support for learners with neurodivergent needs or disabilities, as well as promoting (and indeed funding) digital literacy, can ensure that education is individual but also focused on the emancipatory effects of education. Gender and Racial Equity: The Pillars of Inclusive Education Gender and racial equity are crucial components of a successful education system and a founding component of Sustainable Development Goal 4. Although there has been significant progress here, disparities globally still persist. Barriers such as gender-based violence, early marriage and inadequate school infrastructure pose challenges for the international community. Similarly, racial inequality in education can manifest in various ways, from lower access to quality schooling to biased curricula that don't reflect diverse cultures or histories. To address these disparities, education systems should continue to develop policies that promote gender-sensitive curricula and address the specific needs of marginalised groups. Investing in female education, particularly in underserved areas such as sexual health, has been shown to create a ripple effect that benefits entire communities. Similarly, anti-racist educational frameworks can help to make sure that all students, regardless of their race or gender, receive the same opportunities to thrive. Creating a Better Future: What Needs to Be Done? Most importantly, we need to keep talking about SDG 4 — providing inclusive and equitable education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. The more SDG4 is part of the global conversation the more likely it will become part of the taken for granted expectations of all countries and communities. The more academics like me discuss it in our lectures and have it in assignments, likely the more we are to normalise high quality, free primary and secondary education with our future global leaders. But more than this SDG4 should be at the heart of grass roots conversations, in every classroom, playground, and café. The more we talk about it the more a part of our global culture equitable access to education will become. Ultimately, success in education will not be defined by what certificates students attain, but by how well we equip individuals and communities to navigate and shape the world. Education should empower individuals, communities and nations to achieve their full potential, breaking down barriers that have traditionally limited access and opportunity. By striving for inclusivity, equity and quality, we can build a future where education truly is for everyone. BIOGRAPHY Dr Matthew Round is an academic and educator, who has worked with children from 3 years old to PhD students. Having been a science teacher, pastoral leader, and senior leader in schools in the UK, he now works in Higher Education and his current research focused on the emancipatory philosophies of Pierre Bourdieu and sex and sexuality education.

Allergy school: A New free educational programme to protect children with food allergies

By Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE • June 2, 2025
Every child deserves to feel safe and included at school but, sadly, that’s not always the case for children with food allergies. There are now around two children in every classroom with a diagnosed food allergy in the UK, and 20% of food allergic reactions occur in schools. Yet new research by the NASUWT teachers’ union, in collaboration with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, has exposed the barriers faced by too many of children with food allergies, which can leave them feeling excluded and isolated. The survey of almost 1,900 teachers revealed that 67% have had no allergy awareness training. One in five teachers has never been taught how to administer an adrenaline auto-injector which could save a life in a food allergy emergency, and almost two thirds (60%) don’t know or are unsure of their school even has an allergy policy. Despite a huge rise in allergies in the UK, there is no specific mandated guidance on how children with food allergies should be supported or how and when staff and team leaders should be trained. There is no funding for this either. That’s why Natasha’s Foundation, the UK’s food allergy charity, has created Allergy School. The £1 million, national programme for teachers offers nurseries, primary schools and out-of-school clubs and groups a suite of free resources, including films, engaging lesson plans and assembly packs and a self-assessment to see how allergy friendly they currently are. All are mapped into the National Curriculum to make them easy to use for all age groups. The resources also introduce Arlo, the friendly, food-allergic armadillo – a puppet which helps to educate children about food allergies in a positive and engaging way. The free resources, for children aged 3 to 11, are available at www.allergyschool.co.uk Allergy School has been developed in partnership with The King’s Foundation, St John Ambulance, the children’s charity Coram Life Education and Tesco Stronger Starts. It has received messages of support from His Majesty, The King and the Government, as well as schools, teachers and parents.  His Majesty, King Charles said: “Improving understanding of this issue is so important for keeping children with food allergies safe and ensuring they are able to participate fully in activities at school or in our wider communities.” The aim of Allergy School is to transform understanding of food allergies in schools so that children with food allergies feel empowered, included and protected. I know from personal experience that it can be really hard to keep a child with food allergies safe in school. My daughter Natasha was diagnosed with food allergies as a young child and finding a nursery where she would be safe was extremely difficult. When she started school aged 5, it was only when she had a severe allergic reaction to milk on a school trip to the zoo that staff finally took her food allergies seriously. Natasha died when she was just 15 from a food allergy to sesame. She ate a baguette sandwich that didn’t list sesame seeds on the food label, but they had been baked into the dough of the bread, invisible to the eye. Had the baguette been labelled properly, Natasha would not have eaten it, and she would be alive today. Natasha’s death put us on a mission to campaign for change. Government, schools, teachers, parents and pupils need to come together to support children with food allergies in this country. Our new Allergy School programme will transform levels of awareness and understanding of food allergies in a positive and engaging way for all children. BIOGRAPHY Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, founded The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the UK’s food allergy charity, with her husband Nadim after their daughter Natasha died aged 15 from an allergic reaction to food in 2016. In 2021, Natasha’s Law came into force which improved food labelling. The charity funds medical research and campaigns for a safer world for people with food allergies. Tanya has been awarded an OBE in recognition of her services to people with allergic disease.

I believe in you.

By Vanessa Herder • May 30, 2025
We reach success in education if all people know exactly how to live up to their potential. This requires not only formal knowledge and learning, it includes a deep understanding of self through introspection. The secret sauce of a successful education includes information, sometimes encyclopaedic knowledge as well as an awareness of our own desires, experiences, passions and aspirations. Successful education happens when a beautifully open mind meets critical thinking; and when connecting the dots leads to problem solving and openness to the wonders of the world. I am not talking about a romantic setting: give everyone a book and they can study by themselves and all will be good. Successful education goes beyond school and formal education. It comes from people who challenge us or make us do things we don’t want to, from different situations, personal struggles or an inspiring influence. These are opportunities to thrive and suddenly we realize we went beyond what we think we can do and we outgrow our own expectations - thanks to other people. We meet excellent teachers in our family, within our group of friends, at our internet community or at school or university and we learn from and with them and they inspire us - these people have an impact on us. I call this ‘people-associated learning’ and consider it the most profound and life-changing education method. What is the opposite of successful education? If we stop learning, if we don’t accept that the only constant in life is change. By reaching a point where we say, ‘I know it all’, we have failed. Successful education teaches that we always evolve and this comes with continuous learning and development. This makes us fit for the future and enables us to adapt to always new circumstances. It is about being able to divorce a previous idea and embrace a new one, it is the ability to change. We constantly receive input from our educators and rely on them. A worthwhile goal in successful education is to reach a degree of independence and freedom to educate ourselves with the aim to share our knowledge with other people. This is a wonderful path, however, not an easy journey. If someone is believing in us, it is much easier to go the way we want to go - despite obstacles. With the help of others, we will have the courage to overcome all the speed bumps and setbacks and we will have the guts to educate ourselves. Nothing is better, makes us happier and contributes better to the world than fulfilling what our purpose is. This belief in us is by someone who is around us & makes all the difference: they can challenge us, they see achievements in us which we yet to cannot see, and they see of how much more we are capable of. Go and find the people in your life, who tell you this one lifechanging sentence: I believe in you. BIOGRAPHY Vanessa Herder is a scientist working at The University of Glasgow in Scotland. Her work studies the early immune response of virus infections aiming to understand what drives a severe and lethal outcome versus a mild disease. She did her PhD in multiple sclerosis research, followed by a doctoral thesis about a virus infection causing brain malformations. She is a trained veterinarian and after finishing her specialisation in veterinary pathology in Germany, she moved to Glasgow to focus on the pathogenesis of systemic and respiratory virus infections, including SARS CoV-2 and influenza virus.