Agriculture: using banana stems as sanitary pads.

Agriculture is the 21st century goldmine,with various innovative ideas and projects coming up to improve lives. Agriculture has intervened in various facets of economy by providing alternate sources of various raw materials through improved farming methods and most especially by turning waste to wealth. New agricultural techniques has seen impressive innovations from utilizing hitherto waste materials to money spinning products. Bananas has proved to be an all encompassing product with its suckers in various in various industries.Bananas are of tremendous health benefits and are in high demand in food processing companies.They are also in the petroleum industry where they are used as bio fuels. The fibers are used for clothing,paper,mats,cushion and sanitary pads. Agriculture has shown that no part of the banana is useless. Advances in agriculture has also produced improved varieties of bananas that are tastier,mature faster and produce more in a small land space. The waste to wealth innovation using agricultural products has created jobs, increased wealth of farmers ,expanded markets and increase trade relations between countries. Bananas have also impacted education of girls in developing countries by the use of the stems for sanitary pads. A lot of girls in developing countries miss school because of the menstrual flow,because they cannot afford sanitary towels,thereby sourcing alternatives which are not necessarily hygienic. The production of sanitary pads from banana stems has put an end to absentism in school as cheap pads are available for them. Learn how to make sanitary pads using banana stems ;

Kenyan students’ app emerges first runner up in global innovation contest.

A mobile application developed by Precious Blood, Riruta students was named first runners-up in a global contest that recognizes schoolgirls’ technological innovations.The M-Safiri app- designed to ease the process of booking and paying for public transport- emerged second in the Technovation Challenge 2016 held in San Francisco, California in the US. bbThe Precious Blood students, who go by the name ‘Team Sniper’, developed it through App Challenge, an initiative of Safaricom Women In Technology (WIT) dedicated to inspiring women in technology and entrepreneurship and targets girls in high schools for a 12 week coaching period. M-Safiri tied in the second place with ‘Go Green’, an iOS app by New Dork team from USA to minimize food wastage by restaurants. The winning app that clinched the USD 100, 000 prize, was ‘OOL’ developed by Team from Mexico to encourage citizens to volunteer in social work.Read more

The water hyacinth and the girl-child education..

The role of women in agriculture and nation building cannot be overemphasized.Majority of food production,from planting to processing, and sales are handled by the women.The women mostly take their girl -child to the farm at a very tender age because of the belief that the boys should be educated instead. In developing countries where they know the value of education but are financially constrained,still opt to fund the education of the boys.The number of boys in school out-way the number of girls,not only because of lack of funds, but also because of certain cultures that restricts girls during their monthly cycle. Girls miss school because of pain, ill heath and their monthly cycle. Girls in poor nation miss school basically because they lack the resources to buy sanitary towels,and they rather stay at home than be seen dripping blood.The use of rags,old clothes and papers are not only unhygienic but also dangerous.These are usually sources of infection because use and disposal expose them to health risk. The lack of running water or other sources of water makes the period so difficult,they will rather sit still in a carved up hole. Water hyacinth is a source of relief for the girls,as it not only provides means of livelihood for the parents,but keep them in school by production of durable super absorbent sanitary towels. Sanitary pads can be made from water hyacinth,these are made from a prototype and the production outfit is set up as a cottage industry.This employs the women in the community and also keeps the girls in school. Paper made from the water hyacinth can be used for exercise books that are easily accessible to the children. The Water Hyacinth Sanitary Pad is biodegradable sanitary pads out , the production of a locally made pad provides girls and women a low cost, biodegradable product that sustains income-generating jobs and provides girls with access to necessary personal hygiene products, with the goal of breaking the stigma around menstruation and keep girls in school. The jani pad is the product name of the pad made from water hyacinth,they are working with village volunteers to help women and girls.