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One in 10 girls in Africa miss school during their periods to avoid the embarrassment of bleeding through their uniforms. Some use unhygienic items like cloth, socks, leaves, or dry grass instead of pads, which can lead to infections. Many girls drop out of school once they start menstruating. Should our young girls miss 20% of school days or drop out because of a lack of information or sanitary products?
The plain answer is NO!
There’s already a lot standing in their way; from pervasive poverty to persistent cultural attitudes, to forced early marriages and child labour.
Periods shouldn’t be one of them!
Many girls face period poverty (lack of access to menstrual products and education) due to financial barriers, stigma, and a lack of education about periods, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made things worse.
Talking about periods shouldn’t be boring. To truly connect with young schoolgirls, we use what they love—comic books and animations.
PadHer makes learning about periods and puberty fun, free, and accessible for young African schoolgirls in underserved communities. Our comic book series 'Girls Only' follows Amanda, a 12-year-old girl navigating her first period, helping readers understand puberty, body changes, and sexual and reproductive health and rights through a relatable story. Our animated series features Gigi and Mimi, guided by Freya—Gigi’s older sister—as they learn about their bodies in a playful, shame-free way.
Every 'Girls Only' comic is distributed free and includes sanitary pads to help address period poverty. We visit schools to distribute comics and host engaging one-to-two-hour workshops, creating safe spaces where girls can ask questions, learn confidently, and feel supported. Participants receive certificates to celebrate their learning.
But ending period stigma requires educating boys, too. This is why we created 'Boys Too', a complementary comic book that helps boys understand periods, empathy, and respect. By engaging boys as allies, PadHer helps create safer, more supportive school environments where girls can manage their periods without fear or shame.
To reach girls beyond physical workshops, our animated content is available on TV, online, and mobile—bringing menstrual education to girls everywhere.
PadHer has reached 31 schools and 18 underserved communities across Africa, distributing over 6,750 printed comic books and 23,750 free reusable sanitary pads. Beyond in-person delivery, PadHer offers free digital downloads of its comic books on its website and Amazon, and has developed an animated series to reach girls it cannot yet reach physically. Through this blended approach, PadHer has impacted over 150,000 young schoolgirls, including those in hard-to-reach and remote settings.
Founded in Nigeria, PadHer has steadily expanded its footprint to Kenya and, through $140,000 in grant funding, scaled its programs into Ghana. This expansion reflects strong demand for PadHer’s story-based, culturally relevant model. Building on proven impact and partnerships, PadHer plans to expand further into Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda next year.
Our Hybrid Model
PadHer operates as both a non-profit and a social enterprise, ensuring sustainability and long-term reach. As a non-profit, we educate young African schoolgirls in underserved communities about periods and puberty, while making sanitary pads free and accessible. As a social enterprise, we sell Girls Only comic books and eco-friendly, low-cost reusable sanitary pads, reinvesting profits to fight period poverty. For every pad sold, one free pad is donated to a girl in need, reinforcing our commitment to dignity, access, and equity.
We have refined our innovation to better meet girls where they are. We translated our comic books into 15 African languages, ensuring girls across the continent can understand and connect with the message regardless of location or language. This helps ensure no girl is excluded because of a language barrier.
We also adapt our content to reflect Africa’s cultural and religious diversity. Before entering a new region, we take time to understand local customs, beliefs, and values, revising materials where needed so they educate while remaining respectful. This builds trust with families, schools, and community leaders, making it easier for girls to access information without fear or stigma.
Through our work, girls shared that a major challenge at school is bullying and shaming by boys, especially when uniforms are stained during periods. In response, we introduced Boys Too, a complementary comic book that brings boys into the conversation. Boys Too helps boys understand periods, empathy, and respect, reducing teasing and helping create safer, more supportive school environments for girls.
To extend our reach beyond physical workshops, we developed short animations that allow us to reach girls in cities, underserved towns, and remote villages.
By combining language access, cultural sensitivity, digital tools, and inclusive education, PadHer is working to ensure no girl is left uninformed or unsupported during her period.
PadHer partners with local NGOs across Africa to visit schools in underserved communities, teaching and mentoring young girls on effective period management.
Teachers and school leaders can suggest their schools for outreach here:
👉 https://padher.org/suggest/
Our Girls Only comic books are available for free download at:
👉 https://padher.org/download/
Episode 1 of our animated series can be watched at:
👉 https://padher.org/watch/
To support inclusive learning, Boys Too—our complementary comic book designed to engage boys as allies—is also available for free download:
👉 English: https://padher.org/pub/BoysTooEN.pdf
👉 French: https://padher.org/pub/BoysTooFR.pdf
Organizations interested in partnering with PadHer to bring our innovations to their communities can reach us at info@padher.org
We are always eager to collaborate with like-minded partners who share our vision of a world where no girl misses school or feels ashamed because of her period.
PadHer is committed to helping African girls stay in school.
Our work is powered by visionary businesses and organizations—big and small—that believe in our mission and share our values. Together, we are building a future where every girl has the knowledge, confidence, and support she needs to thrive.
