“My education is one of the most important things in my life. I first learned about Always from my sister, who told me Always would help keep me dry and comfortable, even when I am in class. Today, I buy Always from the local shop. Without Always, I would be missing school. Now that I am more comfortable in class, I can concentrate better on what the teacher is saying.”

JANE, KENYA

Watch Jane’s Video

Five hundred million women—and one out of every five teens on the planet—live in Africa. Today, millions of these girls and women still do not use pads for protection during their periods. But this is changing. Through a holistic campaign, Always is improving the lives of these women and girls in more places on this vast and diverse continent.

One element of the campaign expands Always distribution, which has now reached 450,000 outlets in Africa. This is improving the commercial availability of Always, not just in big capital cities, but also in some smaller towns and rural areas.

Another Always campaign element includes a puberty education program conducted in partnership with local public education and health organizations. Reaching 3 million African girls and women each year, the program includes sampling and activities in classrooms and some mobile clinics, teaching girls about puberty, the basics of feminine hygiene and sanitary protection.

Always is improving the lives of some of these African girls in ways that go beyond the benefits of hygiene alone. Today, many girls in Africa miss school during their period because they lack awareness of and access to proper sanitary protection. This can impact their chance to complete their education and succeed in life. By providing access to puberty education and sanitary protection with Always, we are able to improve the everyday lives of girls like Jane in very meaningful ways.