PSI Europe recently had the pleasure of meeting Ilewa, one of our newly selected social enterprise partners in Benin as part of the Sang pour Sang Uni.e.s Pour La Dignité project. Ilewa is a pioneering organization that provides environmentally friendly, accessible and reusable menstrual products and baby diapers for their local communities. To complement their products, they also offer training on menstrual health and sexuality tailored to local realities. Ilewa is paving the way in menstrual health and dignity, helping menstruators manage their periods safely, while normalizing menstruation as a healthy part of life.  

We spoke with their team, Adétola Danielle Adanlawo (CEO), Sydneya Lafia (Executive Assistant), Elsie Akodjenou (Community Manager & Ambassador) and Sidikatou Orou Goura (Ambassador), as well as Ilewa customer, Carmelle Aniambossou, to learn more about their important work. We discussed the experiences of menstruators in Benin today, the gaps Ilewa is addressing, and their next steps with PSI Europe in the Sang pour Sang project.

Menstruating in Benin

As in many West African nations, access to menstrual products and information remains limited in Benin. Countless menstruating people, particularly young girls, low-income women and those living in peri-urban areas, often struggle with the high cost of disposable pads and scarcity of local sustainable alternatives. High-quality reusable products are rarely available outside major cities, and few local initiatives meet the needs of menstruating people with solutions that respect their health, dignity and purchasing power.  

In addition to limited access to menstrual products, many also face a lack of awareness and persistent cultural stigma around menstruation. Sydneya Lafia, Executive Assistant at Ilewa, shares that the ignorance and shame around menstruation prevents people from accessing menstrual products and information. Without these tools, menstruators can miss school, work, sports and other vital life opportunities.

Bridging the gap with Ilewa

Ilewa bridges these gaps by offering reusable, eco-friendly and locally produced menstrual products. In addition to their bestselling reusable pads, they are working on trailblazing innovations to cater to the diverse needs of menstruators, while consistently minimizing impact on the environment. They will soon be launching menstrual panties and semi-disposable pads made from banana fibers - a biodegradable byproduct of banana cultivation. These products are sustainable, affordable and tailored to local realities. They are also constantly looking at improving the environmental footprint of their products by experimenting with recycled cotton and natural dyes.  

Paired with access to products is menstrual health information. Ilewa is building networks of ambassadors who can share with their communities knowledge about menstrual health and dignity, as well as information about their products. Community Manager and Ambassador, Elsie Akodjenou, experienced the same taboos and lack of access to information around menstrual health that many of Ilewa’s consumers face. Elsie started as a consumer of Ilewa’s reusable menstrual pads, and over time experienced the benefits firsthand; improved comfort, health, cost savings, and a positive impact on the environment. Today, she shares these lessons with others as a Community Manager and Ambassador for Ilewa, providing relatability and helping to break barriers and normalize menstruation.

Ilewa’s impact goes beyond the work of its ambassadors. Recognizing the power of digital spaces, Ilewa are leveraging social media to reach and educate young people across Benin. Platforms like TikTok allow Ilewa to raise awareness, share educational content, and stories about menstrual health, connecting with a wider audience than traditional methods ever could. At the same time, these digital channels help reduce the costs of more time-consuming outreach, like markets or door-to-door visits, making their work both far-reaching and sustainable.

The future is dignified

PSI Europe is thrilled to be collaborating with Ilewa through the Sang pour Sang project to work towards a world where menstruation is met with respect, dignity and care. Over the next year, with our support, Ilewa plans to increase production by 150% from 1000 to 2,500 menstrual products per month and reduce production costs by 20% through bulk purchasing. They will also bring their menstrual panties and semi-disposable pads innovations to the market. Finally, they will be strengthening their communications strategy and forming new commercial partnerships to reach more communities and increase their sales. Through all these efforts, Ilewa is paving the way for menstruators to live their lives fully – experiencing good health, education, employment, time with friends and family and more. We are keeping our eyes open and look forward to seeing all these exciting developments with Ilewa!

“What do we dream of for menstrual health and dignity? That we can start educating people. It's about accepting yourself as you are. Menstruation is not monstrous. It's something natural. It’s not a big deal. So, in Africa, if we can get girls to talk about their bodies without any hang-ups – that will change a lot of things.”  
- Sydneya Lafia, Executive Assistant, Ilewa