Each year, CNN honors a select handful of everyday people for their creative, selfless efforts to help others. Because nominations for the CNN Hero award come from more than 100 countries around the world, it’s truly an opportunity to recognize meaningful work on a global scale.
We’re so proud and happy to announce that Dignity Period partner, Freweini Mebrahtu, has been named a 2019 CNN Hero!
We’ve known Freweini was a hero since the first time our founders met her in 2014. When Lewis and Helen Wall learned that a lack of menstruation education and supplies was driving girls to drop out of school, they wanted to help Freweini solve the problem.
At that time, Freweini had already established the Mariam Seba Sanitary Products Factory, but she needed financial and logistical support to produce and distribute high volumes of quality menstruation pads to girls throughout Ethiopia. That’s when Dignity Period was born.
Today, working in partnership with Mekelle University, Dignity Period and Freweini have been able to reach more than 300,000 students. Dignity Period works with donors to fund the program that Mekelle University administers on the ground in Ethiopia. Dignity Period and Mekelle purchase all the pads for the program from Freweini and Mariam Seba using donated funds. Click here to see how it all works.
Working hand-in-hand with Freweini to change the cultural stigma around periods is a pleasure. She’s an inspiration to us all, and we’re thrilled to see her recognized in such a meaningful way.
Freweini believes that no girl should miss school because of a period. We couldn’t agree more!
To learn more about how $5 can change a girl’s life, read this story and watch the CNN segments on Freweini.
If you’re interested in supporting Freweini’s life-changing work, here’s how you can help.
You can also follow Freweini’s journey as a CNN Hero this year on our Facebook page or by subscribing to our mailing list.
Congratulations, Freweini!