Komani and the fight to make dignity a daily right.

On image: Co-founder of Komani, Stephanie Lamour.

Every community needs people like the founders of Komani. The kind of people who look beyond immediate profits and quick wins, and instead choose to confront the quiet, everyday gaps that hold communities back. The kind who understands that social ills do not disappear on their own, they have to be faced head-on, without retreat, with solutions that empower people to sustain themselves long after the intervention has passed.

Because empowerment, when done right, is never charity. It is a way forward.

Komani is built on that belief. And from the moment we engaged with their story, it became clear that this is not just another organization responding to period poverty, it is a social enterprise driven by purpose, dignity, and an unshakeable commitment to closing cycles of inequality.

Komani was founded in 2018 as a social enterprise born out of The Umtshayelo Foundation (TUF), the registered NPO established in 2013 by Andrew Lamour to break cycles of poverty in vulnerable communities. The initiative was developed by Co-founder Stephanie Lamour and Head of Operations Mae Newman in response to the impact that limited access to menstrual products and menstrual hygiene management was having on girls’ school attendance. Komani provides reusable menstrual pads to underprivileged schoolgirls through sponsor-supported distribution programmes.

But it was time spent on the ground - listening, observing, and engaging, that revealed a problem hiding in plain sight. “We saw how a lack of menstrual education and products was quietly derailing girls’ lives,” they tell us.

Missed school days. Lost confidence. Shame wrapped around something entirely natural.

In 2018, Komani was launched as a direct response. Not as a once-off donation drive, but as a sustainable, dignity-restoring solution, producing and distributing reusable sanitary pads to underprivileged schoolgirls at no cost, made possible through committed sponsors who believe in long-term impact.

On image: Komani pads.

The name Komani is not accidental. It carries weight. “Komani is about reclaiming dignity, choice, and care,” the team explains.

It is about supporting young girls and women, referred to intentionally as Queens - through something natural, yet so often ignored or silenced. Komani speaks a simple but radical truth - you can be comfortable, confident, and in control, without shame.

And when women are cared for, whole futures are protected.

Their reusable, sustainable pads do more than provide protection. They remove barriers. They allow girls and women to show up fully in their lives, in classrooms, workplaces, and communities.

Period poverty is often misunderstood as a product issue alone. Komani understands it as a systems issue.

Their reusable pads offer reliable protection for up to three years, meaning periods no longer equal missed school, missed income, or compromised health.

But product alone is not enough. “Menstrual education busts myths, teaches hygiene and pad care, and builds the confidence to manage periods without shame.”

Together, the pads and education restore dignity, strengthen self-worth, and support consistent attendance, laying foundations for better long-term health and economic outcomes. This is how cycles of poverty begin to break.

What sets Komani apart is that their work does not stop at manufacturing. They train and upskill women involved in pad production, distribution, and outreach, creating real income opportunities within the very communities they serve.

At pad handovers, menstrual health education sessions are run, covering hygiene, self-care, and practical pad maintenance. Beyond that, Komani actively engages communities through workshops and talks. “We’re not just dropping off a product,” they say. “We’re building knowledge, confidence, and stronger communities.”

In 2024, Komani launched its first K2K (Komani-to-Komani) Campaign, taking reusable pads directly to Komani in the Eastern Cape.

The response was immediate and deeply affirming.

School principals and faculty went on record expressing gratitude, but more strikingly, excitement.

They spoke of girls who no longer had to pay monthly, who could now learn how to care for their bodies in healthy, informed ways. Attendance improved. Confidence returned. “Seeing learners regain dignity, confidence, and consistent school attendance reaffirmed our purpose,” the team reflects. “Taking our product to where it is needed most.”

Komani does not see women only as beneficiaries but as entrepreneurs, consultants, and leaders.

Their entrepreneurial model places women at the centre of the solution - producing pads, running education sessions, and acting as community consultants. The result is income, local expertise, and lasting change, all at once. “It keeps the solution in community hands,” they explain. “And makes the impact more sustainable.”

Like many purpose-driven organizations, Komani faces real challenges. Demand far exceeds funding. Stigma around menstruation persists. Reaching remote communities is costly and complex.

Yet, the opportunity is equally powerful.

By growing their network of women entrepreneurs, strengthening partnerships with schools, corporates, and donors, and using real stories and data to influence policy, Komani sees a future where menstrual health is no longer whispered about, but addressed openly and effectively.

Komani’s long-term vision is clear and uncompromising.

“No girl should ever miss school or lose dignity because of her period.”

They envision Komani present in more schools and communities, with local women leading the work and earning through pad production and education. Beyond this, plans are underway to launch a mobile menstrual clinic, bringing products, education, and support to forgotten places, breaking myths, and breaking silence.

It is an ambitious vision. But then again, real change always is.

Komani reminds us that when you invest in dignity, you invest in futures. And when communities are equipped with tools they can sustain themselves with, progress stops being temporary, and starts becoming permanent.

For more, visit: Komani