DONATE

About Us

WHO WE ARE

Lily Pad Projects is an initiative dedicated to ending period poverty in low-income communities by advocating for the use of reusable sanitary products. Our primary goal is to offer thorough menstrual hygiene education, breaking the silence around the topic and providing practical knowledge. In addition to promoting hygiene, we empower girls and women by teaching them how to handcraft reusable pads, giving them valuable skills for sustainability and entrepreneurship. We believe that access to education and developing practical skills can help end the cycle of poverty and support the financial stability of these communities.

MISSION

  • Educate young girls and women on menstrual hygiene and sex education.
  • Support one girl at a time with reusable sanitary products
  • Encourage and promote the use of reusable sanitary products to reduce sanitary waste.
  • Empower children and women for greatness.

VISION

  • Eradicate period poverty one girl at a time in Africa.
  • Provide clean water and sanitation in low-income communities in Africa.

PAST PROJECTS

On 19th September 2020, a project tagged “One Girl Five Pads Projects” was organized by Sisterhood of Grace. This outreach was held in 3 cities in Nigeria which include Ikorodu (Lagos), Ilorin (Kwara) and Ibadan (Oyo).  About 250 girls were impacted in total during the one-day outreach. Each girl child got a pack sanitary pad, learnt how to make reusable sanitary pads and about menstrual hygiene education.

Since then, several other projects have been done in partnership with other organizations such as The Flow Project, Nikky’z foundation, St. Margret College, and Africa Clean-up Initiatives to mention a few, empowering over 450 girls in 2021. Reusable sanitary pads were given to the girls, and they were taught about menstrual hygiene education during the projects.

In 2022, “Blossom Projects” was done to create awareness on the environmental benefits of using reusable sanitary pads impacting about 270 women and girls. 

Lily pad projects supports the UN Sustainable Development goals to promote zero hunger (Goal 2), good health (Goal 3), quality education (Goal 4), gender equality (Goal 5), clean water and sanitation (Goal 6) and partnership for the goals (Goal 17) and advocate the use of Reusable sanitary pads

Keep reading...

OUR HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEAM MEMBERS

Olabisi Okesola

Co-founder & Project Manager

Pharm Omolayo Oni

Co-founder & Medical Team Lead

Barr. Oluwakamiye Olorunfemi

Project Coordinator, Ibadan Team

Joy Nwanede

Project Coordinator, Lagos Team.

Olubiyi Mercy Inioluwa

Community Manager

Pojukay Temitope

Welfare Team Lead

Atolagbe Elizabeth

Content Creation Team Lead

Shalom Adegboye

Graphics Design Team Lead

Julianna Obadare

Social Media Manager

Oreoluwa Oladele

Content Creation Team Lead

Olayinka Grace Ogundipe

Human Resource Manager

Blessing Deborah Adedide

Fundraising Campaign Manager

Olutosin Agbeyemi

Project Coordinator, Abuja Team

Adepeju Adesiyan

Intercessory Team Lead

Olakunle Ashimi

Logistics and Transportation Manager

IMPACT REPORT

Lily Pad Projects has been making a positive impact by distributing over 4000 reusable sanitary pads to empower girls and women in Nigeria, while also educating them on menstrual hygiene. The Blossom Project engaged over 3000 girls, 200 boys, and 150 women in Ibadan, Abeokuta, Lagos, and Kastina in 2024. Moreover, the project distributed 3000-period handbooks and 1500 reusable sanitary pad toolkits. Additionally, a virtual webinar was hosted with over 50 attendees from Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

Girls are one of the most powerful forces for change in the world: When their rights are recognized, their needs are met, and their voices heard, they drive positive change in their families, their communities, and the world. Empowering girls and women enhance the development of the societies and the world at large – Kathy Calvin, United Nations Foundation President & CEO

The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving

Quick Links

Direct Links

Contact Info

+2348164733874

lilypadprojectssog@gmail.com

Adegbose Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos

© 2024 Lily pad Projects All Rights Reserved

DONATE

Sustainable Development Goals

Lily Pad projects support the UN Sustainable Development Goals to promote zero hunger (Goal 2), good health (Goal 3), quality education (Goal 4), gender equality (Goal 5), clean water and sanitation (Goal 6), and partnership for the goals (Goal 17). They also advocate for the use of reusable sanitary pads. What is the reason behind this?

It’s important to remember that reusable sanitary products are eco-friendly, cost-effective, and long-lasting. Research shows that disposable sanitary pads take over 500 years to decompose, leading to continuous environmental pollution. If we don’t promote the use of reusable sanitary products, the tons of disposable pads used by women and girls in Nigeria will not decompose in their lifetime, contributing to environmental degradation and climate change.

Encouraging the use of reusable sanitary products will gradually reduce sanitary pollution, which has a significant impact on the ecosystem and environmental sustainability. In a country like Nigeria, where sanitary pads are not easily accessible due to their cost, maintaining good health can be challenging.

Target Benefactors

Our primary focus is on girls and women living in low-income communities. According to the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, over 37 million Nigerian adolescent girls and women of reproductive age lack access to menstrual hygiene products due to high costs. UNICEF also reports that one in 10 African girls misses school due to their periods, which is equivalent to about 20 per cent of a school year. In Nigeria, there is a heavy tax on menstrual products, with a pack of pads costing around $1.30. Approximately 44% of the population, who are facing extreme poverty, make less than $1.90 per day.

Teaching women and girls about menstrual hygiene and how to make their own reusable sanitary pads empowers them with valuable skills and helps them save money. This means they can stay in school without having to worry about not having access to sanitary pads.

Teaching young girls how to properly maintain reusable sanitary pads involves a lot of work. It requires proper hygiene practices, which depend on access to clean water and the ability to sun-dry the used pads. The Lily Pad projects conduct regular check-ups on the girls to ensure they are maintaining proper menstrual hygiene. Providing clean water systems in low-income communities is a major step in helping women and girls use reusable sanitary pads effectively.

According to a UN report in 2014, one in 10 girls in sub-Saharan Africa missed school due to their menstrual periods. Some girls were reported to lose up to 20% of their education because of this, which increases the likelihood of them dropping out of school altogether. Plastic menstrual products create over 200,000 tons of waste annually. Most menstrual hygiene products are plastic and non-biodegradable, taking 500 to 800 years to decompose.

Poor menstrual hygiene practices do not just impact physical health, but also social and mental well-being. Proper menstrual management is a human rights issue, as inadequate menstrual hygiene denies women and girls their right to education, health, and favorable working conditions.

Finally, our initiative aims to address the socio-economic constraints caused by menstrual hygiene challenges. In low-income countries, girls frequently miss school because they lack access to sanitary products, and women may experience job losses as a result. By offering sustainable alternatives and educational programs, we hope to eliminate these barriers, creating a future where menstruation does not impede educational or employment opportunities.

Be a Part of change

DONATE NOW!!!!