Catherine Nakayemba (Safe Girl Pads)
Catherine Nakayemba is the founder of Safe Girl Reusable Pads, a social enterprise “that envisions a generation where menstruation never shames, isolates or oppresses any woman or girl in a community.”
the inspiration behind safe girl reusable pads
Inspiration for founding the organization came from Catherine’s personal experiences. She faced many challenges growing up as an orphan and struggling “to obtain her most basic needs such as food and tuition.”
Catherine continued facing hardships as she “began to menstruate. With no sanitary supplies available to her, she was forced to use rudimentary materials such as banana fibers and paper. Like most of the girls she knew, Catherine was forced to stay home and miss school when she had her period.”
Based in Mpigi District, a rural area in Uganda, Safe Girl Reusable Pads creates sanitary pads for women and girls so they don’t have to struggle to find proper menstrual supplies or have to miss school.
In the Because Accelerator, a virtual business incubator for entrepreneurs, Catherine developed her skills in marketing and fundraising. With this, she will lead Safe Girl Reusable Pads toward the goals of expanding throughout east Africa, providing more menstrual supplies to more girls, and eventually employing over 100 women in production.
June 2020 safe girl reusable pads Update
Catherine won the Because Accelerator Pitch Event competition in 2020! With the prize money, Safe Girl developed and printed new product packaging. Catherine shares that the new packaging is high-quality and “protects the pads inside from getting wet, hence ensuring safety.” Additionally, Catherine is working with her Because Accelerator coach to develop an improved website. Both of these projects have increased followers and sales for their products!
Catherine shares, “To have a mentor to keep you accountable for your business goals and tasks makes Pursuit one of the best programs for any product business start-up.”
The Because Accelerator is a completely free online training and mentorship program for entrepreneurs who have product-focused ideas and businesses in areas impacted by poverty.