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PadHer

It's Normal, Period!™

PadHer educates and mentors young African schoolgirls from underserved communities on periods, puberty, and SRHR through comics and animations — helping them manage their periods effectively and build the confidence they need to shape their future. Each comic book includes free pads and is available in 15 major African languages, including English, French, and Swahili.
HundrED 2024
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Overview

HundrED has selected this innovation to

HundrED Global Collection 2024

HundrED Global Collection 2023

Updated May 2025
Web presence

2021

Established

39

Countries
Students lower
Target group
We make menstrual and sexual health education fun, relatable, and exciting through storytelling, vibrant visuals, and engaging formats like comic books and animations. When learning is fun, it sticks—what they learn in a playful way, they tend to never forget. Our goal is to turn these topics into something girls look forward to, not something they fear or avoid.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

One in 10 girls in Africa miss school during their periods to avoid the embarrassment of bleeding through their uniforms. Many drop out of school altogether once they begin menstruating. Should young girls miss 20% of school days or drop out due to a lack of information or sanitary products?
The plain answer is NO!
There’s already a lot standing in their way, Periods shouldn’t be one of them!

What does your innovation look like in practice?

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 easy 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 through her journey. Our animated series features Gigi and Mimi, guided by Freya—Gigi’s older sister—as they learn about their bodies in a fun, relatable way.

Every free comic book comes with sanitary pads to help fight period poverty. We visit schools across Africa, distribute comics, and host engaging one-hour workshops on periods—all at no cost. Girls who attend receive a certificate of participation.

To reach girls beyond our physical reach, our animated series is available on TV, online, and mobile—bringing education to girls wherever they are, whether in cities or remote villages.

How has it been spreading?

PadHer has reached 5 schools and 12 underserved communities in Africa, distributing over 5,000 printed comic books and 15,000 free reusable sanitary pads. By offering free downloads of our comic books on our website and Amazon, and developing an animated series to reach girls we cannot reach physically at the moment, we’ve impacted over 100,000 young schoolgirls!

Our Hybrid Model
PadHer operates as a non-profit and a social enterprise. As a non-profit, we educate young African schoolgirls in underserved communities about periods and puberty, making sanitary pads free and accessible. As a social enterprise, we sell "Girls Only" comic books and eco-friendly, low-cost reusable sanitary pads, using profits to fight period poverty. For every pad sold, we donate one free pad to a girl in need.

How have you modified or added to your innovation?

We’ve enhanced our innovation by translating our comic book into 15 African languages, making it easier for girls across the continent to understand and connect with the message, no matter where they live or what language they speak. In addition, we’ve developed short animations that help us reach girls in places PadHer can’t physically access yet—whether they’re in bustling cities or remote villages. These animations allow us to educate and empower more girls with accurate information about their bodies and periods. No girl left out!

If I want to try it, what should I do?

PadHer partners with local NGOs across Africa to visit schools in underserved communities, teaching and mentoring young girls on effective period management. Teachers and principals can suggest their schools at https://padher.org/suggest/. Our comic books are available for free download at https://padher.org/download/, and Episode 1 of our animated series is at https://padher.org/watch/.

Impact & scalability

HundrED Academy Reviews

Innovations to enhance young people's control over their sexual and reproductive health and rights are crucial. PadHer's smart design uses comic-based popularization as a launchpad, providing girls with the tools and support to take charge.

The social enterprise structure of the innovation provides the rationale for the innovation's scalability. PadHer is set up to continue growing and bringing change to communities through an innovative funding mechanism.

- Academy member
Academy review results
Impact
Scalability
Exceptional
High
Moderate
Limited
Insufficient
Exceptional
High
Moderate
Limited
Insufficient
Read more about our selection process

Implementation steps

Program Foundation & Strategy
PadHer’s mission is to empower young African girls through accurate, fun menstrual and SRHR education. We set SMART goals for growth and social impact, ensuring all programs are guided by values of inclusivity, accessibility, and cultural sensitivity.
Curriculum & Content Development
We develop comic books, animated series, and workshop guides that explain periods, puberty, and SRHR in a fun and relatable way. All content is medically accurate, inclusive for boys, culturally adapted, and designed to break harmful myths.
Workshop Deployment
PadHer conducts physical workshops in schools and communities using comics, interactive discussions, and fun activities. We also run digital workshops via Zoom to reach girls remotely, making use of visual aids, games, and myth-busting exercises.
Lifelong Mentorship Program
Every girl who attends a PadHer workshop is assigned a personal mentor. Mentors offer continuous support through WhatsApp and Zoom, answering questions, providing emotional support, and guiding participants through puberty and adolescent changes.
Free Lifelong Education Access
PadHer provides free ongoing education via comics and animated content that addresses periods, puberty, HIV, STIs, consent, teenage pregnancy, and more. Educational materials are distributed online, through TV, and on mobile-friendly platforms.
Multilingual Reach & Accessibility
To ensure maximum inclusivity, PadHer comics are available in 15 widely spoken African languages, with more translations underway. Materials are visually engaging, designed for low literacy, and respectful of cultural nuances.
Monitoring, Evaluation & Impact Reporting
PadHer tracks key metrics like workshops delivered, girls mentored, languages reached, and content engagement. We collect testimonials, conduct feedback surveys, and use real impact data to continuously improve programs and demonstrate success.
Funding & Sustainability
PadHer runs a hybrid model, operating as both a nonprofit and a social enterprise. As a nonprofit, we offer free menstrual education and distribute sanitary pads to underserved communities. As a social enterprise, we sell "Girls Only" comics and eco-friendly reusable pads, using the profits to fund our free programs. For every pad purchased, we donate one to a girl in need, helping to sustainably fight period poverty.

Spread of the innovation

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