WaterStep Launches Projects to Empower Students through Menstrual Health Management in Papua New Guinea, DRC & Kenya

WaterStep launches initiative to reach 1.3 million students over three years.

LOUISVILLE, KY, UNITED STATES, March 6, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- WaterStep, a global organization dedicated to improving access to safe water and sanitation worldwide, is excited to announce the launch of a groundbreaking pilot project focused on Menstrual Health Management (MHM) in Papua New Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Kenya. This initiative, set to reach 1.3 million students over three years, will empower young girls by providing essential resources and education to improve menstrual health management and reduce barriers to school attendance.

In collaboration with local partners and Days for Girls, a non-profit organization that provides sustainable menstrual health solutions and education to girls and women worldwide, WaterStep will begin implementing a proof-of-concept pilot project. Days for Girls will assist WaterStep in developing a tailored MHM curriculum for the program. And the pilot will serve as a platform to refine and improve the project, ensuring it meets the unique needs of students across each region.

This MHM project by WaterStep aims to empower female students by improving menstrual health, reducing school absenteeism, and building confidence around menstrual cycles. To achieve this, WaterStep will ensure that students have access to safe water and provide schools with WaterStep’s BleachMakers to help sanitize reusable menstrual pads, hands, toilets, and other surfaces. The project will also offer menstrual health education to girls, promoting the importance of sanitation and the use of reusable menstrual products. Female students will be provided pads to ensure consistent access to menstrual products during school days. Additionally, teachers and local partners will be trained on the use of BleachMakers, and a reliable data collection system will be implemented to track the program's success. By collaborating with local organizations and suppliers, WaterStep will ensure the program’s sustainability and create opportunities for local businesses to be involved. Additionally, boys will also be taught about menstrual health to help reduce stigma and foster a more inclusive environment.

The project has already garnered strong support from school leadership and local communities. With the success of this pilot, WaterStep plans to scale the initiative, extending its reach to more schools and students across Papua New Guinea, DRC, and Kenya. Ultimately, 300,000 students in Papua New Guinea, 600,000 students in the DRC, and 400,000 students in Kenya will be reached.

To further these efforts, WaterStep is seeking new implementing partnerships for the project including NGOs, governments, and private businesses.

“We will provide the expertise and the means, but we will let them tell us where and how to do the implementation,” said Zac Tossou, Chief of Programs at WaterStep. “WaterStep has been in the business of providing safe water and sanitation solutions for 30 years, always adapting to the needs of each country, community, climate, and culture. We aren’t just culturally sensitive—we empower local communities to take ownership and build their own projects, ensuring they have the capacity to sustain them long after we leave.”

Mark Hogg, CEO of WaterStep, has always believed in the transformative power of women and girls.

“When you give girls the tools to take control of their lives, they don’t just change their own world—they change everything around them,” he said. “Women and girls have always been the ones to push things forward. This project is about giving them the strength to stand tall, the confidence to know their value, and the belief that they can shape their own future. Once they see that power emerge, nothing can stop them, and they’ll show the world just how far they can go.”

ABOUT WATERSTEP
WaterStep is a U.S.-based INGO that focuses on sustainable solutions to the world’s WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) crisis. Since 1995, WaterStep has evolved from a small service organization to a global leader in safe water technology and innovation.

WaterStep has developed simple tools, patented technology, and effective training to empower people and communities to solve their own water and sanitation needs. We provide expert solutions for places where infrastructure is fragile and execution challenges are particularly difficult, especially in slums, rural villages, and in communities responding to natural and manmade disasters. Using our equipment, which has received certification from the Kenyan Bureau of Standards, we teach people how to use salt, nearly any source of water, and a 12v power source to make safe drinking water for the long term.

WaterStep’s WASHUp program combines safe water and disinfectant technology, and health and hygiene education because safe water in a dirty cup is no longer safe, and dirty hands spread disease. Our disaster relief program offers scalable safe water and disinfectant access during disasters because no one should have to worry about whether their water is safe during an emergency.

For more information, interview requests, partnership opportunities, or to support WaterStep’s global mission, visit www.waterstep.org or contact Kristina Goetz, VP of Global Content at WaterStep by phone or WhatsApp +1 917 684 9814 or by email at kristina.goetz@waterstep.org

Jennifer Carver
WaterStep
+1 5024186819
jen.carver@waterstep.org