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Japanese Startup Gives Menstrual Products to Girls in Nairobi Slum, Boosting School Attendance and Future Prospects
A Japanese entrepreneur who once collapsed from overwork found a turning point in her life while traveling in Kenya, where she is now gradually bringing about change. Miggy Sakata and her venture Cotatsu have been providing menstrual products to girls at schools in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, helping to improve their academic performance. To fund the project, the firm has been selling upcycled clothes in Japan and shared her experiences at a business seminar in Yokohama in late July, inviting companies interested in making investments in Africa. The event was sponsored by the Yokohama city government to promote the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) to be held in the city from Wednesday to Friday.
In 2013, Sakata set off on a trip around the world after collapsing due to overwork at an advertising agency. While in Kenya, one sight left a deep impression on her. She saw a wall separating wealthy people playing golf with a caddy on beautiful lawns from Kibera children bathing in wastewater flowing from the golf course while their mother did laundry.
'It was like a wall between two worlds, and I wondered if there was anything I could do [to bridge the gap],' Sakata said.
She began visiting schools in Kibera to provide financial support to children. Later, she noticed that female students were absent several days a month. They could not afford menstrual products and therefore stayed at home. Some went to school using rags instead, which led to infections. Some were bullied by boys after their blood stained chairs in the classroom.
The girls had a hard time keeping up with the school curriculum and their grades dropped. 'Poor grades meant that they couldn't go on to higher education, couldn't get a good job, and remained in poverty,' Sakata said.
To address the issue, Sakata founded Cotatsu, which has distributed 1.3 million menstrual products to a total of 8,000 women, with partial support from a Japanese manufacturer of sanitary products. As a result, a survey found that the average number of days absent per year was reduced by 36. Also, the students' self-esteem increased and their grades improved.
'I believe that going to school to learn reading, writing and arithmetic, and being able to think for themselves and do things on their own, is the first step toward changing their lives, even if they are born and raised in a slum.'
The challenge is that the project requires a large amount of funding.
Sakata aimed at creating a business model in which local people could utilize their own talents, work for themselves, and use the profits to properly support those around them. What caught her attention was that Kenya has a culture of altering clothes and creating custom-made imports large quantities of second-hand clothing from developed countries, some of which is sent for disposal. Sakata said that clothes are affordable and abundant in Kibera, so people there have a keen sense of fashion.
She recruited local tailors and designers and created a brand called 'SHIFT80.' They make upcycled clothing by combining various second-hand clothes, and sell them in Kenya and Japan. They also make clothes combining the second-hand clothes with kimono. With the brand, Sakata said, 'We want to shift the world by returning 80% of profits, excluding personnel and other expenses, to the local community.'They organize showcases for fashion influencers and pop-up events to retail their clothing products. They also hold competitions for young Kenyan fashion designers to provide opportunities and to find talented personnel.
Sakata has also offered scholarships to high school and college students. Sharon Ademba, an orphan, graduated from college on such a scholarship and now mentors children in similar circumstances. 'Her strength lies in her ability to empower children by talking about her own difficult past,' Sakata said.
Now Sakata aims to expand her activities beyond Kibera to other slums in the future.
Sakata said: 'In Japan, I thought I would die of overwork. It was so difficult for me. But in Kibera, I met many friends who were positive and sturdy, and interacting with them saved me. I want to convey the strength of the people in Kibera to Japanese people, and it would be nice if I could help them in return for their favor.'
