Kenya - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

The project aims at bringing a locally owned sustainable solution to the disposable menstrual wastes at the household levels. Using clay, the project aims to design burning chambers to burn the menstrual wastes at the household levels .

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

The project creates a locally owned solution to menstrual wastes management at the household levels. The project focuses on using the locally available modelling clay to design clay burning chambers which will be cheaply acquired by the households and adopted for menstrual waste burning. The project aims to empower the local potters to make the burning chambers, by triggering and creating huge demand within the community. In collaboration with the community gatekeepers and the ministry of health, the project will enforce the uptake of the idea to help solve the menstrual waste menace. Alongside menstrual waste management education, the project aims to break the silence of menstruation and educate the community on the best menstrual management options, aiming at the uptake of the burning chamber.

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

With an increase in population, the menstrual wastes has been gradually increasing. There are no clear methods of managing this wastes especially at the household levels. The few available incineration points are not sufficient and cannot be accessed by the people living in the remote rural areas. Most people dispose their menstrual wastes in pit latrines while others opt to burry or dispose in rivers. This has greatly increased risks of disease contraction and environmental pollution. Most toilets especially in the rural areas get filled up quickly because of this menstrual wastes which are nonbiodegradable, making this expensive to construct other toilets.Due to communal taboos, most women doesn't want their menstrual wastes to be handled by other people due to fear of witchcraft and soccery.There is therefore a great need for a locally owned solution for this. This clay burning chamber will enable individual responsibility to manage their wastes.

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

Following the identified problems in the community, the clay burning chamber has the following major benefits towards solving the menstrual waste menace. 1. It promotes individuals responsibility to handle her menstrual wastes thus fades away the way of witchcraft when the wastes are handled by another party. 2. The clay burning chamber will help lengthen the lifespan of the community toilets by reducing the amount of menstrual wastes thus making life cheap and increasing the communal sanitation levels. 3. The clay burning chamber will help solve the environmental pollution associated with poor menstrual wastes disposal, which is slowly growing into an environmental crisis. 4.The clay burning chamber will promote and enhance menstrual waste management at the source (household levels) thus reducing the risks that arises from the long chains of other menstrual waste management options.

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

The project aims at serving all the menstruating community members ( girls and women of reproductive age). The project aims these beneficiaries at the household levels where waste management will be initiated.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2024-04-03

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

3

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

2

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

All the other partners are menstrual hygiene management champions currently volunteering to help promote awareness through various advocacy programs.

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

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-ouma-861190287

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

Other: Environment

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

6

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

The project aims to empower the local potters to produce the clay burning chambers. Through this sources of income will be created to many community members either as helpers, distributors, marketers etc. This will increase the sources of income and raise the livelihoods thus eradicating poverty.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

6

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

Due to increase in the income levels of various community members, the accessibility and affordability of the basic needs such as food will be increased thus reducing hunger in the community. The residue from the burning menstrual products (ash) also acts as a rich nutrients for crop production thus boosting crop production and eliminating hunger.

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

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

Menstrual wastes acts as breeding places for many pathogenic organisms which transmit diseases if not properly managed. Heaps of menstrual wastes in the environment poses bad smell thus diminishing the good health of the community. This project aims at promoting good health and well being through promoting safe and hygienic menstrual waste management thus reducing chances of contracting infections associated with poor menstrual waste disposal.

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

5

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

The project aims at reducing the stigma of menstruations and menstrual waste handling. Through this, it will sustain and help keep most girls in schools even during their menstrual periods enhancing quality education. The project aims at enlighten the community on the reality of menstrual waste and even champion for male involvement in MHM to reduce the stigma associated with menstruation. Through this, the girls will get enough support from the males during menstruation thus sustaining them in school; promoting quality of education for all.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

This forms the core of this project. The overall goal of the project is to create an environment free from pollution and increase hygiene and sanitation levels in the community. Most often when menstrual wastes are not hygienically managed they may find their ways into water sources thus causing contamination and diminishing sanitation standards. The project aims to bring proper menstrual waste management options thus reducing chances of leakage of the menstrual wastes into water sources and in the environment; promoting clean water and sanitation.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

5

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

Through employment creation to various community members, the project aims to increase the income levels of the people. Through this, they will be able to afford the clean energy.

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

Through increase in the income levels of several community members, there will be increased economic growth.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

The project will trigger innovative ideas to the potters to design the clay burning chamber.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

6

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

Trough male involvement in MHM, they will be able to understand the normality of menstruation and treat women and other menstruating girls as equal beings and not as curses from God; the way most of them associate menstruation.

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

Through reduced menstrual wastes in the community and dignified menstrual waste handling, the project will help create the communities more sustainable and free from pollution.

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

4

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

The project aims at reducing pollution by reducing the amount of solid wastes arising from menstrual wastes. Through this overall environmental protection strategy, the project will help champion for climate action.

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

By reducing the amount of menstrual wastes deposited in water sources, the project aims at preventing water pollution thus protecting the life below water.

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

By reducing the amount of menstrual wastes deposited on the land and other dumpsites, the project champions for environmental protection. This will reduce the risks of contamination with pathogens arising from menstrual wastes thus protecting the lives on land.

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

7 - Strongly Agree

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

Through a communal approach of promoting menstrual hygiene management and promoting male involvement in MHM. the project aims to bring closer collaboration between men and women through understanding the normality of menstruation. This will greatly promote peace and justice among the community members.

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

The project aims at bringing various sectors of the economy to collaboratively work together to solve this communal menace.

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

2

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

2

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

6

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

2

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

1 - Strongly Disagree

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

3

05.08 Justification

The product am envisioned to produce is a new invention designed using the locally available raw materials. The product is a pot-like structure with a different design. I decided to use the pot like structure since pots are already accepted and widely used in the community. There are few modifications done to it.

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

My main potential competitors' are the few installed incinerators from the County. My project stands out since it champions for household level management of waste rather than collecting the wastes in a pool of collection points. The incinerators are located in the urban areas making it hard to access in the rural areas, Most community members also fear collecting their menstrual wastes to be handled by another person for fear of witchcraft. This gives my project a step forward since it brings the solution right at the doorstep and involves individual management of their wastes. It is also cheap to acquire compared to the expensive incineration costs charged at the incineration centres.

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

Yes. I am currently engaging female menstrual hygiene champions to be the sole actors in the project. My project also aims at empowering and employing potters who are majorly women in the society.