In Chichewa,
UFULU means freedom.
That’s a concept that needs no translation.
A chance meeting in 2018 gave Widge a new purpose in life.
Widge Woolsey knew how hard it was get pads and tampons in Africa, but it never occurred to her what females in Malawi were using for their periods. Whilst staying with a friend in Malawi, she met a woman called Nandi Mwakhwawa and they became good friends. Nandi explained to Widge that women and girls in Malawi were using old rags torn from t-shirts because they couldn’t afford desposable pads.
“I started Ufulu with the dream of giving women and girls the chance to work and go to school full time, without the shame and discomfort of using rags for their periods.”
Each cup holds about 25ml of blood.
And so much more.
UFULU provides free menstrual cups to females in Malawi, but that’s just part of the story. Because they are reusable and last up to 10 years, cups are kinder to the environment and more economical (more on that here).
Having a cup means a girl can go to school and gain her education. Cups mean women can go to work and support their famlilies.
Girls have the confidence to stay in school and women, to go to work when they have their periods because they know using a cup means they are safe from leaks and smells and they are protected.
Over 60% of women that Ufulu has given cups to, are single mothers with more than three children. Having a cup means a single mother can work and support her family every day of the month, even when she has her period.
That is life changing.
Cups Ladies lead the way.
UFULU empowers women to share knowledge. Every Ufulu Cup Lady will have been using a cup for at least three months before she starts running workshops. This means she has the confidence to teach other women and girls. All our Cup Ladies are trained in facilitating workshops and teaching others how to insert, remove and care for their own cups. Cups are very new in Malawi. Ufulu wants every female to have the confidence to use her cup safely right from the start.
Women empowering women.
Widge has over 20 years of experience in logistics & admin, in a career that has spanned from corporate finance to film and technology, to charitable organisations. Her love of Africa (especially Malawi) brought about a strong desire to end period poverty and inspired her to set up UFULU, to make some positive changes in the world. Widge believes that sanitary products are a basic human right, and no girl should miss out on her education just because she has her period.
When asked what she thinks of UFULU, this 29-year-old shared:
“Ufulu is tackling the problems that women have been facing during their period. It has changed the lives of me and the women around me.”
A trained social worker, Dama loves helping women in her community by giving them free menstrual cups.
“UFULU is a life-changing opportunity that has and is transforming lives. Women are now comfortable doing things at any time without doubting themselves.”
Floccy is 28 and is the Cup Lady for the Salima area, a large town at the southern end of Lake Malawi. She is also a Home-Based Care worker with the Mudzi AIDS clinic, providing life changing support. When asked why she loves working for Ufulu she said “I am so proud to be part of a life changing initiative that empowers females in Malawi. By improving menstrual health and challenging the harmful myths around period poverty, Ufulu is helping women and girls live with confidence and dignity. Seeing the difference this makes in my community is wonderful”
A qualified accountant and business analyst, with nearly 25 years of experience in IT and operations, Louise currently works as IT Product Management Leader for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). She is looking forward to visiting Widge in Malawi to see the work done by UFULU for herself and the difference being made to the lives of the women and girls who live there.
Nicki has extensive generalist HR experience across arts, digital, music, entertainment, media and creative sectors. She became a trustee for UFULU because she wanted to help make a difference for young girls and women in Malawi. She also felt, that after many years working in highly successful businesses, it was time to give something back.
With a background in the events and business development sector, from the moment Annie heard about UFULU it struck a chord. She knew it was a project she wanted to be involved with and is proud to be helping to continue to grow both the charity, and global awareness of period poverty.
Michele has spent her career in marketing at Microsoft and Apple which took her to San Francisco and Los Angeles. She now leads brand communications at Expedia. As the mum of a 13-year-old daughter, she wants to help create change for the women of Malawi who don’t have access to period products.
