South Africa - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

A dispenser made out of agricultural waste specifically for sanitary towels.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Going back to my primary and high school days I don't remember my school providing tissues or worse sanitary towels in our school toilets. Not much education was provided regarding menstruation and that means being at that age a young girl is still navigating the stages that comes with being a girl child, so knowledge such as when you should expects your periods, we didn't have that knowledge, therefore sometimes periods showed up unannounced, worse at school, a horror movie to a young girl's life. Having PAD Dispensers at schools would lessen the anxiety, you would know where to go to find a pad. Sanitary towels should be available at schools for a girl child, and toilet rooms should have PAD Dispensers available everywhere, at schools, malls, at work and at home as well. How much more when the PAD Dispensers are made from agricultural waste. Research says 90% of waste in SA ends up in landfill and the components leads to the production of methane gas and CO2.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Gender Equality through Sanitation Access. Sanitation that serves all genders equally must be designed and planned explicitly for the unique needs of women and girls.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

1. Access to sanitary towels made easy for women and girls wherever they are, school, work,hospitals, clinics or even at a mall. 2. Sustainable Development. There's a need to increase reuse and recycling rates for agricultural plastic waste, as current levels are less than 10%. Using our PAD Dispenser will contribute to that goal as it will be produced out of agricultural waste. 3. Gender equality and Empowerment. Empowered women and girls become pillars of communities.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Women and Girls. More those who are living in rural areas, still struggling with service delivery.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2024-01-01

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

1

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

0

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

None

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

f) Healthcare (healthcare equipment and services)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

4

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

4

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

5

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

Sanitation is a basic health care, the project will contribute to the wellbeing of Women and Girls.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Having access to the PAD Dispenser will keep women and girls in school. No more will menstruation and lack of access to sanitary towels be the reason girl's attendance and participation in education be affected. The project will contribute to the quality education of women and Girls by keeping them in school. With improved sanitation, girls can go to school uninterrupted.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

The project will ensure that sanitation facilities are available that are suitable for women and girls needs. Improved sanitation will lift the status, wellbeing and opportunities of women everywhere.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

Clean water and Sanitation is the foundation of this project. The project will be at the forefront of contributing to water and sanitation goal and with every PAD Dispenser sold, R10 will go towards ensuring that the PAD Dispensers have enough Sanitary towels for the girl who doesn't have a pad at home.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

5

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

Our manufacturing plant will see to invest in solar power, improving energy productivity and help the environment.

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

6

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

In developing this project, we seek to contribute to employment opportunities for young people who hold the key to the economic growth of South Africa.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

4

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

5

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

The project will participate in building sustainable cities by creating green public spaces.

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

The project will reduce ecological footprint through recycling and reuse to ensure sustainable production.

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

Innovative recycling for making PAD Dispensers will curb climate change and its impacts and lowering CO2 emissions and pollutions

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

5

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

Using recycled agricultural waste will reduce ocean acidification by reducing greenhouse gas emissions which will lead to protection of marine animals by minimizing plastic waste.

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

5

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

Using recycled agricultural waste will reduce how much waste is sent to landfill and save space

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

5

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

The project will be part of promoting inclusive societies for women and girls.

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

5

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

The project will work together with UN to contribute to sustainable development through global partnership

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

5

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

5

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.08 Justification

In South Africa I have not come across a PAD Dispenser in toilets or one that has been created out of agricultural waste. There is a need a need for it.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

Supreme Hygiene. Creating an innovative product that they have not created.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Not yet, with the PAD Dispenser project it will open the doors to initiating actions to promote female entrepreneurship.