Aruna Speaks

FGM has to be one of the most common and challenging experiences our young girls in the villages experience. This is a cultural event that has been around for years and years and although it has been talked about for so long as well, it is still here with us and we have to acknowledge it. How do we get to the root of this problem and how can we provide a better alternative if stopping it entirely is nearly impossible?

Throughout our years traveling in different parts of the country and even beyond, we come across different people and cultures and every where we go there’s always a new challenge that we have to face. So on this episode we try to talk about some of these challenges and look for ways in which we can overcome them.

In this episode the goal is to break down barriers and misconceptions around giving donations and inspire a new wave of generocity

Hello, on today’s episode we feature Rico Herre, a filmmaker from Berlin, Germany. He is working on a film talking about period shaming. You can find all the details about it here: Film Title: IMPURE Genre Drama/Coming of Age Length of Film 82 min. (Feature film) Language Kiswahili/English Logline: After experiencing her first menstruation while in school, a young kenyan girl struggles with the consequences of exclusion and unawareness. What is this Movie about? IMPURE is a Coming-of-Age-Story, dealing with the stigma of ‘Period-Shaming‘. It‘s inspired by a true incident of a young girl from Kabiangek in Kenya, who commited suicide after having her first menstruation in school and being ridiculed in front of her class by her teacher. This taboo leads to shameful experiences for so many girls and women. The consequences of being silent are often harmful and degrading. The story of IMPURE is centered in Kenya, but the way society deals with the issue of making a natural thing like menstruation a taboo is also a challenge in many other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, in muslim countries and in South East Asia, just to name a few. The goal of this movie is to raise awareness and to spread the message that speaks to all girls and women, which might have to deal with the same issues. Their voices haven‘t gone unheard. We have heard them. That‘s why this movie needs to be made to play a critical role towards changing the narrative that girls are IMPURE. Beyond the Movie With the educational character of this film there is a great opportunity to go into the public discourse, allowing young women and organizations to have a visual reference, to raise their voices and to support projects beyond the movie. The benefits of investing into the project: -Film Investor's Agreement -reimbursement of investment right after financial return -a percentage of the investor's share from the net profit (pro rata, pari passu) -Credit as Executive Producer in the movie and on any other platforms related to the movie (IMDB and elsewhere) -supporting the fight against the period stigma Cast: Eunice Ruwa, Catherine Nduku, Nura Mwangi, Millicent Mwanza, Talia Samuel, Kilawa Joseph Wambua Crew: Written & Directed by Rico Herre Produced by Rico Herre, Ignacio Hennigs Executive Producers: Petra Seewald, Mayuri Odedra-Straub Co-Produced by Khadija Abdulqadir Cinematography by Ignacio Hennigs Original Score by Ibrahim Sidede Casting by Godwin Wambua Courtesy of Common Light Pictures All rigts reserved © 2023 Contact: Rico Herre Producer/Director/Writer/Editor Berlin/Germany [email protected] +4915735690290

On today’s episode let’s talk about the sustainability of our pads, empowering young girls and women by teaching them how to stitch these pads and also asking the question, “Who made periods expensive?”

Allowing access to use of sustainable and eco-friendly sanitary towels is at the core of Together 4 Better Foundation and on this episode I share all about it.

Today I engage you on how T4B came to be. The story behind the name, what we do, who we help and what our plans are moving forward.

How I went from farming in India to running my own school, starting a foundation and empowering girls by creating awareness and allowing them practice safe menstrual hygiene through sustainable reusable sanitary pads.