Menstruation hygiene education, a part of a larger initiative to increase awareness on women's health, is important as it reduces menstrual discomfort, maintains reproductive health, and normalizes hygienic menstrual habits, especially in Nepalese communities where there is heavy stigma against periods. Many Nepalese women in rural communities practice Chhaupadi, where women on their periods are banished to abandoned huts due to stigma and misinformation, causing over ⅔ of Nepalese women were forced to cease daily activities during menstruation in 2022. Due to the menstrual resource shortage, the financial burden of buying single-use products, and an inability to dispose of menstrual products properly as trash is incinerated, most women use makeshift products with unsanitary scraps of cloth. As consequence, women are at risk of developing diseases such as reproductive tract infections, skin irritation, odor and discomfort, infertility and birth complications, or even fatal toxic shock syndrome.

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The reusable menstrual pad workshop, a project of Medical Outreachers, was first launched in Nepal’s Namtar villages to tackle the shortage of menstrual resources and promote awareness about menstrual health and hygiene. In 2025 and 2026, we produced more than 200 reusable menstrual pads locally, in collaboration with HK secondary schools. The menstrual pads produced in Hong Kong were subsequently distributed in Nepal during Team C's service trips in December 2025 and June 2026.

 

Through the project, our aim was to enhance sewing (hand sewing and sewing machine) skills in secondary school students, raise awareness about menstrual health and hygiene, and highlight the living conditions for women in Nepal compared to Hong Kong. Our team from Medical Outreachers lead multiple workshops, teaching participants the pad-making process step by step and guiding students to make a finished product. Our reusable menstrual pads, which are easy to wash and use, are split into 2 parts: the pad holder and an absorbent liner. The pad holder is made using a sewing machine while the liner can be either sewed by hand or machine.