Born from friendship, compassion, and community action, Mama Flo began as a small act of kindness in Khayelitsha in 2020 and has evolved into a powerful movement against period poverty.
Cape Town, South Africa (25 September 2024) – Moved to make a meaningful difference in addressing the “silent pandemic” of period poverty was Isabella Bisogno, Melissa Zackon and Laurie Shone – three friends who have known each other since Grade 1 and are proud founders of Mama Flo.
In June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the trio was approached by a young man from Site B in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, who asked if they could hand out sanitary products in his community.
“We had no idea what we were in for or why he needed sanitary products. The three of us got together, put the word out on social media and were inundated with people donating pads. We still laugh about how we turned Laurie’s family home into a pad factory,” reflects Laurie Shone.
How a visit to Khayelitsha turned into a mission against period poverty.
Initially, the three friends didn’t intend to start a charity; instead, it happened rather unexpectedly.
On June 16, 2020, they set out to Site B to hand out the sanitary pads, with zero expectations or consideration for what lay ahead.
“What we saw on that day was a call to action that we simply could not ignore and realised that young people living in these communities were facing a far harsher pandemic, the pandemic period of poverty,” Laurie explains.
The crisis they witnessed on their first outreach visit was something far bigger than they had anticipated, and they simply could not ignore it.
“We knew we wanted to tackle this together, head-on, even if we didn’t know how we were going to do it. What we didn’t imagine is that it would grow at the rate it’s grown, that we have become a household name in the fight against period poverty.”
With a mission to find short and long-term sustainable solutions to period poverty, Mama Flo was born.
The charity organisation provides an agency for women’s period freedom, free period education, and free period products.
Providing dignity and sisterhood
Beyond that, Mama Flo has turned into a sisterhood that supports, empowers, and inspires many women in many different ways. Offering support to schoolgirls or domestic abuse victims, the sisterhood leans inwards and looks for help within. That is the beauty that Isabella, Melissa and Laurie have created.
Since its inception, the organisation has reached over 7,000 women through workshops and pad handouts.
In addition to building strong partnerships with other organisations, Mama Flo has trained and empowered 15 community ambassadors who now lead workshops and awareness campaigns.
Mama Flo hosts these educational workshops in schools and community centres where they share information on menstrual health and hygiene, challenge stigmas, and discuss taboos and myths, all while empowering young women to advocate for their needs.
The organisation also continues to distribute reusable and single-use pads to offer immediate relief as well as train young women from the communities they serve to lead workshops, run pad handouts, and advocate for menstrual health.
Bro Flo is an initiative that engages boys and men in conversations about menstruation, which is crucial for reducing the stigma surrounding periods.
“Through this initiative, we aim to foster a supportive environment where menstruation is seen as a natural part of life. We believe that boys and men are integral to the conversation.”
A mission worth keeping alive
Mama Flo has touched countless lives and offered relief to many women struggling in silence. Looking ahead, they still hope to empower over 13,000 women through educational workshops and pad distributions over the next three years.
“We hope to provide reusable sanitary pads to more than 4,000 women and single-use pads to an additional 6,400 women and strengthen the ambassador program by training 50 new community leaders to facilitate workshops and advocate for menstrual health,” Laurie shares.
While working tirelessly to foster a supportive environment around menstruation, Mama Flo’s biggest challenge has been long-term fundraising.
The overall running of their operation, together with running workshops in and around Cape Town, is a costly exercise (and one which they do completely for free)
“It is hard for us to commit to as many schools or as many organisations as we would like. However, the demand is endless and we try our best to keep up with it.
“There is also the need for access to free period products and education which is seemingly insurmountable and is not spoken about enough. We wish that the government, at whichever level, would get more involved in our cause,” Laurie appeals.
To contribute to the incredible work that Mama Flo does, visit https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/mamaflo-fundraiser or email Mamaflocapetown@gmail.com.
Sources: Mama Flo
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