As part of efforts to advance menstrual health advocacy and tackle period poverty across West Africa, Pad-Up Creations has trained 70 women and men selected from more than 5,300 applicants in a six-week fellowship to equip them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to become change-makers in their communities.

The Pad-Up Menstrual Change Makers Fellowship brought together participants from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Liberia and The Gambia for intensive training in menstrual and reproductive health, advocacy, community engagement, programme design, grant writing, fundraising, leadership and self-discovery.

Founder of Pad-Up Creations, Olivia Onyemaobi, said the fellowship was created to build a network of advocates capable of transforming menstrual health outcomes at the grassroots.

“The fellowship called for applications from people who wanted to advance menstrual health and hygiene across West Africa. Over six weeks, participants were trained in different aspects of advocacy, fundraising, grant writing, community engagement and reproductive health,” she said.

Beyond classroom sessions, fellows were required to design and present community-based projects they intend to implement after graduation.

According to Onyemaobi, Pad-Up Creations provides stipends to support the projects while also connecting fellows with potential partners and funders, ensuring that the knowledge acquired translates into lasting impact.

The organisation, which produces Nigeria’s first certified reusable sanitary pads, has expanded its menstrual health programmes across several African countries. She said the fellowship reflects its commitment to reducing period poverty through education, innovation and community-led solutions.

For Onyemaobi, the success of the programme will not be measured by the number of women trained but by the number of girls who remain in school, access menstrual products and experience menstruation with dignity because someone in their community decided to act.

The organisation’s Programme Lead, Naomi Ngbede said interest in the fellowship exceeded expectations, with more than 5,300 applications received within two weeks with only 70 admitted.

Rather than expecting large-scale interventions immediately, Ngbede said fellows were encouraged to begin with the resources available to them.

She explained that fundraising and grant-writing sessions were deliberately included to help participants secure the resources needed to sustain their work beyond the fellowship.

Pad-Up Creations also plans to monitor the fellows after graduation, following up on the projects they committed to implementing while providing continued support where necessary.

For Omoloye Joy Eniola, the fellowship gave her the confidence and practical tools she had long been searching for.

“I had always wanted to do something like this for my community but didn’t know how to go about it. The fellowship gave me practical tools to better serve girls.”