Volunteer your expertise & frequent flier miles to help African women

SHE- Sustainable Health Enterprises

Do you have the skills this organization needs to help women and girls in Africa? Read on to hear the story then see the red list, which highlights specific ways to help.

During a New York City rain shower, Erin chatted with a friend in a West Village café to discuss an issue that made staying dry in the rain seem minute.

     Although it’s something we tend to fuss about, I found that the rain was my friend and motivational urge this week. From drizzle to downpour, I was forced to take shelter in one of the west side's quaintest coffee shops, but found myself asking, “What good is a cup of java without a girlfriend’s chatter to go along with it?” In remembering this quintessential rule, I called Elizabeth Scharpf, an intellectual, free-thinker and down-to-earth girl friend, who confirmed that a cup of tea was just the excuse she needed to dodge the wet weather. But little did I know that our conversation would stray far from the Bohemian West Village and deep into the heart of Africa.

     Elizabeth’s story unfolded in a bag factory in Mozambique, where she was conducting qualitative and quantitative experiments. Elizabeth is a brainy graduate of Harvard Business School, but has an earthy, gentle nature that she expresses in her love of travel and foreign aid work. In jotting down the numbers in this African factory, she realized a large portion of the women workers were out for the day and upon questioning, was told their absence was due to their menstruation cycles. “For a few weeks after my visit, I kept thinking about the fact that women were missing work due to menstruation, although that was not what I was in Mozambique to study.” Elizabeth was shocked to learn that women and girls in Africa miss up to 50 days of work or school per year because they do not have access to affordable sanitary products during their periods, a fact that was later confirmed by more sources she interviewed. This creates an issue for entire families, according to a Goldman Sachs study, which shows when women are able to work outside the home, maternal and child mortality rates drop while better health and education exist for current and future generations. Furthermore, for every dollar a woman earns, she invests 80 cents in her family, as opposed to just 30 cents invested by men. The numbers Elizabeth had collected and the business research at the bag factory all became secondary to this new concern she had for women.

“For a few weeks after my visit, I kept thinking about the fact that women were missing work due to menstruation, although that was not what I was sent to Mozambique to research.”

     Elizabeth went on to create SHE, Sustainable Heath Enterprises, which will assist women in Africa to manufacture and distribute affordable, quality, and eco-friendly sanitary pads.  Because there is currently an 18% tax on cosmetic products shipped into Africa, SHE is working with the UN to lift that ban. (Any woman will tell you a pad is not a cosmetic luxury but instead a necessity!)  When asked how she was able to get in touch with the necessary people at the UN, Elizabeth said with a tiny, stalker-type smile, “I just didn’t stop emailing. I contacted all of my contacts and found someone who could connect me.” This made me realize that one girl’s persistence quite possibly will change millions of women’s lives in the future. Her persistance has gotten SHE attention just last week, as President Clinton announced in the September 23 Clinton Global Initiative that they are committed to providing affordable sanitary pads and education through SHE.

Above: A sustainable pad made with local fibers for women in Africa.
     While SHE is still in talks with the UN, the new company is experimenting in Rwanda with local fibers in order to make affordable, accessible sanitary pads. The organization then plans on teaching local women to run these factories and schooling them in businesses, health and hygiene.
The best news for SHE is that Elizabeth was granted the Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship from Harvard Business School  in order to continue researching and fighting for affordable necessities for women in Africa.

How to Help 

     So how can we get involved? I asked Elizabeth what those concerned in humanitarian efforts could do, and she cheerfully listed these techniques:

Spread the word about the organization. Use social media or just chat up SHE. I put a mental check mark before that request, since most of the women I know excel at dishing the news.

Volunteer your expertise. SHE is looking for international distribution marketing experts, machinery developers and product development ideas.If you are willing to travel and have these talents, your next trip could be to Africa.

Gift your Frequent Flier Miles. A non-conventional way to give is by donating frequent flier miles to the cause. 

Support SHE at their campaign launch party, Sept. 30, 7 pm-9:30 pm, SALT Art Space in NYC. Buy tickets here.

If you wish to volunteer or give to SHE in one of these ways or in others, please visit www.sheinnovates.com or email Elizabeth at ems@sheinnovates.com. With your help, SHE will push on in Africa to ensure that the 3,000 days of menstruation in each woman's life will be lived in a sanitary, productive manner.