In Chichewa,
UFULU means freedom.
That’s a concept that needs no translation.
A chance meeting in 2018 gave Widge a new purpose in life.
Widge Woolsey knew how hard it was get pads and tampons in Africa, but it never occurred to her what females in Malawi were using for their periods. Whilst staying with a friend in Malawi, she met a woman called Nandi Mwakhwawa and they became good friends. Nandi explained to Widge that women and girls in Malawi were using old rags torn from t-shirts because they couldn’t afford desposable pads.
“I started Ufulu with the dream of giving women and girls the chance to work and go to school full time, without the shame and discomfort of using rags for their periods.”
Each cup holds about 25ml of blood.
And so much more.
UFULU provides free menstrual cups to females in Malawi, but that’s just part of the story. Because they are reusable and last up to 10 years, cups are kinder to the environment and more economical (more on that here).
Having a cup means a girl can go to school and gain her education. Cups mean women can go to work and support their famlilies.
Girls have the confidence to stay in school and women, to go to work when they have their periods because they know using a cup means they are safe from leaks and smells and they are protected.
Over 60% of women that Ufulu has given cups to, are single mothers with more than three children. Having a cup means a single mother can work and support her family every day of the month, even when she has her period.
That is life changing.
Cups Ladies lead the way.
UFULU empowers women to share knowledge. Every Ufulu Cup Lady will have been using a cup for at least three months before she starts running workshops. This means she has the confidence to teach other women and girls. All our Cup Ladies are trained in facilitating workshops and teaching others how to insert, remove and care for their own cups. Cups are very new in Malawi. Ufulu wants every female to have the confidence to use her cup safely right from the start.
Women empowering women.
“Ufulu is tackling the problems that women have been facing during their period. It has changed the lives of me and the women around me.”
Chisomo has been distributing cups since March 2022. She told us:
“Ufulu has changed the lives of many women already in Malawi and has made going to school and working so much easier for so many women. Also, husbands are not going to complain because now women can manage their periods better. Many marriages suffer because women struggle with their periods.”
A trained social worker, Dama loves helping women in her community by giving them free menstrual cups.
“UFULU is a life-changing opportunity that has and is transforming lives. Women are now comfortable doing things at any time without doubting themselves.”
With a background in the events and business development sector, from the moment Annie heard about UFULU it struck a chord. She knew it was a project she wanted to be involved with and is proud to be helping to continue to grow both the charity, and global awareness of period poverty.
Michele has spent her career in marketing at Microsoft and Apple which took her to San Francisco and Los Angeles. She now leads brand communications at Expedia. As the mum of a 13-year-old daughter, she wants to help create change for the women of Malawi who don’t have access to period products.
