28.Ayiti

Changemaker: Alexon Grochowski

Responding to an increase in infections amongst female patients across health care sites in Southern Haiti due to poor menstrual hygiene practices, Alexon and the 28.Ayiti team decided to start a social media campaign to remove the taboo around menstruation and celebrate periods in Haiti. As May 28th, 2017 was the International Menstrual Hygiene Day, they began the campaign with a video showing local influencers who talked about their periods to normalize the topic. This video has received over 20,000 views across the many platforms that shared it. 28.Ayiti will continue to produce videos and other content with 3 goals: (1) breaking down the stereotypes, stigma, and taboo particular to Haiti around menstruation, (2) disseminating widely factual information and education about MHM, and (3) improving access to pads and menstrual products. Beyond the social media campaign, 28.Ayiti will also begin collecting data on menstrual hygiene and move into local production of pads and other menstrual hygiene materials. May 28th, 2017. 28 days between period cycles. 28 more reasons to normalize periods in Haiti. Follow 28.Ayiti on facebook, instagram, and youtube.

#noufomé

("Fomé" is the Haitian Kreyol term for women who have just received their period, an experience that half the country has gone through. As our periods enable us to have children, we are all, in some way, a product of menstruation. We are all "fomé," we are all transformed.)