Uhuru Means Freedom Text and Photographs by Mimi Muir
eriods? Tampons? No water? What does any of this have to do with school? Actually, did you know that not all girls can go to school when they are having their periods? Can you imagine the impact on society if girls were less educated just because they had to miss school for one week a month, almost every year? When I was 15, I learned about an American woman who decided to make a difference in the lives of girls impacted by this very problem. Laura Ponte Chauvin, founder of Her Best Foot Forward, researched and figured out a way to train other women to manufacture 100% biodegradable sanitary Georgetowner 2020
pads from tree pulp. Distributing the pads to school girls in Tanzania allowed many to manage menstruation in safety and dignity, increase confidence, and remove barriers to success. The pads were named UhuruPads, “uhuru” meaning “freedom” in Swahili, for a reason. emembering Laura from her college days at Vanderbilt University, early in 2018, my mother showed me some Facebook posts about the project, and I reached out immediately. Laura responded that if I were able to raise funds to support at least 300 students for a year then I could join her that summer. Remarkably, after drafting a 29
