The Story...

​

In 2014, Vasikana Project was founded by the Dzepasi Sisters as a tribute to their mom, who worked to empower women.

 

The Mission:

• Publish a puberty education booklet 

• Providing workshops on general hygiene, breast self-exams, body image, and building self-confidence. 

• Demystify menstruation and eradicate some of the taboos centered around the subject. 

• Create self-sustainability projects for women to sew their own reusable pads.

• Tuition scholarship program for girls.

​

In 2021 all the above goals but the Tuition scholarship have been realized.

• Publish a puberty education booklet  - This is the virtual launch of the menstrupedic comic in Shona.

• Providing workshops on general hygiene, breast self-exams, body image, and building self-confidence - this program continues in schools we work with.

• Demystify menstruation and eradicate some of the taboos centered around the subject - we have flooded social media and continue to make school visits to discuss the subject to normalize it. 

• Create self-sustainability projects for women to sew their own reusable pads - in the works.

• Tuition scholarship program for girls - in the works.

​

The Partnerships

 

Vasikana Project, dedicated to the empowerment of girls through menstrual health education in Zimbabwe, partnered with Menstrupedia of India, Stayfree Africa, and The Sister Accord® Foundation to publish the critically acclaimed Menstrupedia Comic in Shona. The Multicultural Solutions Agency has helped us with communications planning. Logistics and web development.

 

Menstrupedia of India, the original publishers, worked with us to translate the comic into Shona, a language spoken by most Zimbabweans (plans are possible for a Ndebele version). The Sister Accord® Foundation donated $2500 to print the comic available for Zimbabwe schools.

 

Translating the critically acclaimed comic into Shona is the 10th partnership for Menstrupedia and an unparalleled resource for girls, especially those in rural Zimbabwe who often do not have access to resources that empower and educate them about their own changing bodies.

​

For years, Vasikana distributed pads in schools. However, ending period poverty is multifaceted, and distribution alone is not enough. An educational resource that helps eradicates barriers to menstrual health and informs girls about their bodies is empowering and available to the girls for years to come.

​

​