Our Current Project: Akinyi
Akinyi is a research initiative through the Center for International Development at Point Loma Nazarene University that aims to investigate the realities of menstruation globally.
Through conducting empirical interviews with individuals living in the global South, we are determined to understand the complexities of menstrual poverty as a foundational step for implementing sustainable solutions.
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Akinyi's Work So Far
2022
In 2022, PLNU undergraduate student, Emma McHugh, wanted to host an installation demonstrating the menstrual experiences of individuals across the globe. The goal was to bring awareness to the issue of period poverty and break down stigmas surrounding menstruation as a whole. Upon her initial search into country-specific studies, she struggled to find enough substantial research that properly communicated the realities of menstruation. Instead of abandoning the project altogether, she was encouraged and supported by the Center for International Development and PLNU’s Honors program to directly ask questions and uncover the stories of the menstrual experience through a pilot research study.
A Kenyan woman named Maureen Ocholah invited Emma to speak with women in her community in Kawangware - an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. Hearing hundreds of testimonies about the lack of products, dignity, and education for periods, in addition to discovering the high frequency of young girls trading sex for pads motivated Emma to pursue research publication, find ways to increase access to period products in Kenya, and advocate for menstrual equity upon her return to PLNU.
“We dig a hole in the ground inside the house and sit on it to collect blood for sometimes 12 hours.”
“It was even shameful to ask for a sanitary towel from my dad. That is how I met the father of my child. I got pregnant with my body… My dad said if you know you’re pregnant, you can’t stay in the house. So I packed my things and left.”
“Can it be mandatory for every child to access a pad?”
“I sometimes share one pad with my sister each menses.”
“If the government can give books, can’t they give pads?”
“Can girls have priority over condoms?”
Partner With Us
Your donation will help students conduct research through funding their travels, bring important speakers to campus, send students to relevant conferences, and facilitate internship/job opportunities for our students/graduates who engage in global poverty alleviation, innovative non-profits, and social enterprises.