Accra, Ghana — PadHer, a social enterprise founded and led by a Nigerian, has secured a significant $140,000 grant from the Chocolonely Foundation. The funding is a major boost for the organization’s mission to transform menstrual and sexual health education across Africa. The grant will enable PadHer to scale its impact across Ghana’s Volta Region, working with local partner Girls Club Ghana to reach thousands of young girls.
Chika Nwaogu, the Nigerian founder and Executive Director of PadHer, described the work as “personal and profound.” She emphasized the mission to ensure that no girl feels shame or has to skip school because of her period. “Our mission is to ensure no girl is left behind,” Nwaogu said.
The impact of PadHer’s work is evident in stories like that of Ama, a 13-year-old from the Volta Region who once dreaded her monthly period due to a lack of access to products and proper education. “Now I know my period is normal, I don’t hide anymore and I go to school without fear,” Ama recalled.
PadHer uses innovative tools, including comic books, animations, and digital games, to help girls like Ama understand their bodies and regain their confidence. This unique approach has earned the organization international recognition, including being named one of the world’s most impactful educational innovations by the non-profit HundrED for the third time.
As PadHer, with its Nigerian leadership, expands its presence in Ghana, it is helping to transform menstrual health from a taboo topic into a subject embraced with pride, creativity, and courage, empowering a new generation of African girls.
