Period poverty isn’t just about missing hygiene products, it’s about missed opportunities, lost dignity, and silenced voices.
Women and girls worldwide lack access to adequate menstrual hygiene products.
CARE International UK
Of schools in LDCs provide clean, private spaces and water for periods.
World Health Organization
Of girls in MENA lack basic information about menstruation.
UNICEF
Of girls in MENA miss school regularly because of their periods.
UNICEF
Period poverty is the lack of access to safe menstrual products, proper sanitation, and menstrual education. It affects school attendance, job opportunities, emotional well-being, and long-term health. It keeps millions trapped in cycles of inequality and shame, despite being a completely solvable issue.
Period poverty knows no borders, from rural Africa to crowded cities in Asia, and even communities across the U.S., women continue to face barriers that affect their health and dignity.
UGANDA
Aisha is a bright student from a small village in Eastern Uganda. Her family could never afford sanitary pads, so she used scraps of old fabric that leaked easily and caused embarrassment at school.
On heavy-flow days, she avoided school entirely. Each absence pushed her further behind, and her dream of becoming a teacher felt like it was slipping away.
How many dreams are lost simply because a girl doesn’t have access to something as basic as a sanitary pad?
When ZamZam Foundation’s Period Poverty Project reached her school, Aisha received Pure Pads and menstrual education. Today, she attends school confidently every month, no longer afraid of stains or ridicule. Her grades are rising again, and so is her belief in her future.
Bangladesh
Selina lives in a remote Bangladeshi village where her family survives on daily wages. Menstrual products were always too expensive, so she used pieces of old saris, uncomfortable, unhygienic, and impossible to dry discreetly during the monsoon season.
Repeated rashes and infections became part of her monthly routine. She kept working through the pain, believing she had no other choice.
Should any
Should any woman have to risk her health every month because safe menstrual products are out of reach?
After receiving hygiene products through ZamZam Foundation’s outreach, Selina’s experience changed. She now manages her period safely, without discomfort or shame. She even encourages other women in her village to speak openly about menstrual health, something she once never imagined doing.
Chicago, USA
Angela works full-time at a grocery store while raising two children on a tight budget. Some months, she had to choose between buying food and buying pads. Food always won.
She resorted to using old T-shirts as makeshift menstrual cloths, struggling through long work shifts while worrying about irritation, odor, and leaks.
In one of the richest countries in the world, how is it possible that women still have to choose between groceries and menstrual products?
Through ZamZam Foundation’s local support, Angela now receives Pure Pads regularly. For the first time in years, managing her period is not a financial burden, or a source of shame. She says she finally feels “seen, supported, and respected.”
Every contribution helps transform lives. Thanks to our donors:
Over 1 million women and girls have received menstrual hygiene kits.
Educational workshops in schools and communities are breaking taboos and teaching menstrual health.
Sustainable pad production units are creating local jobs for women.
"When you give, you don’t just provide a pad, you restore dignity, opportunity, and hope."
The Period Poverty Project is a proud initiative of ZamZam Foundation, a U.S. based non-profit working to empower women and build healthy communities worldwide. Through this partnership, we combine advocacy, education, and sustainable solutions to end menstrual inequity, one community at a time.
The Period Poverty Project began after ZamZam’s CEO witnessed girls in Uganda using dry straws, leaves, and cloth to manage their periods while NGOs overlooked the crisis. What started as a moment of shock became a global mission.
Today, this initiative combines sustainable pad distribution, menstrual education, community empowerment, and environmentally conscious production methods, delivering dignity to women across Africa, Asia, and the United States.
Our team of passionate advocates, health educators, and community leaders drives the Period Poverty Project forward every day.
Abdul Maten
CEO, ZamZam Foundation
Nihal Sener Maten
Director, Period Poverty Project
Volunteer Team
Project Coordinators & Field Leads
For Individuals
Become a supporter. Sponsor hygiene kits, fund educational sessions, or donate monthly to ensure no girl misses school again.
For Organizations/Companies
Partner with us. Collaborate on awareness campaigns, CSR projects, or co-branded programs to reach more women worldwide.