Ashley Lori, a dedicated advocate for proper menstrual health, aims to empower women and girls across Africa. Through her nonprofit organisation, Pad-Up Africa, she addresses the issue of menstrual hygiene—starting from Nigeria—by providing access to sanitary products and delivering education on menstrual health.
At nine, Ashley’s first period became a traumatic ordeal due to period poverty and misunderstanding. Her mother, fearing abuse, punished her and rushed her to the hospital, where it was confirmed as menstruation. Without proper sanitary products, her brother’s makeshift solution with tissue caused discomfort, leaving Ashley confused and making her feel odd about menstruation—an experience many girls in rural areas endure.
This experience made her understand the challenges millions of girls and women face. As she grew older, she also met girls who used newspaper, nylon, dried goat poop placed on a leaf or ashes because they couldn’t afford pads and thought they absorbed better. She found this disheartening and decided to bridge the gap in menstrual health education and accessibility. This culminated in the founding of Pad-Up Africa in 2017.
Touching lives with Pad-Up Africa
Pad-Up Africa is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to eradicating period poverty and empowering women through education, advocacy, and access to sanitary products. The organisation provides access to menstrual hygiene products, educates communities about menstrual health, and advocates for the de-stigmatisation of menstruation. They are out to ensure that no girl is held back from her potential because she lacks menstrual products or knowledge.
In the early days of Pad-Up Africa, it was a bit difficult to deal with the cultural taboos surrounding menstruation. In many African communities, discussing menstruation openly was considered inappropriate, so it was a challenge for her to introduce her initiative. There were also financial constraints, as fundraising and securing resources for sanitary product distribution were hurdles. But Ashley Lori still made it work.
Through her efforts, Pad-Up Africa has distributed over 10,000 sanitary pads to marginalised communities. Now, thousands of young girls no longer have to miss school or compromise their health due to the lack of proper menstrual hygiene products. Over 12,000 Girls have been impacted through 10 Menstrual hygiene campaigns. Their programs are divided into advocacy, sensitisation, love, and support. 30% of funds go to advocacy, 40% to sensitisation, and 30% to support programs.
In addition to providing physical resources, Pad-Up Africa has educated more than 5,000 African women and girls on menstrual health. This educational outreach has taught them the importance of hygiene, broken the taboos surrounding menstruation, and given them the confidence to manage their periods properly.
The organisation also teaches women and girls how to make reusable pads, using the slogan “I make my pads, I use my pads, and I make money selling my pads.”
