A milestone for locally owned manufacturing, job creation, and access to period care in Homa Bay County

GalCare is proud to announce the official launch of its first women-led sanitary pad factory in Mbita, marking a major step forward in locally driven solutions to period poverty in Kenya.

The factory produces high-quality Galentine Care sanitary pads for schools, communities, and local markets, while creating jobs and supporting long-term livelihoods for women in the region. Over the next three years, the Mbita factory is projected to help make menstrual products accessible to more than 500,000 women and girls and serve as a blueprint for replication in other parts of the country.

The facility is run by trained local women known as ChangeMakers, who manage production, quality control, distribution, and community education. To date, the team has already produced over 500,000 pads for school donation and community use, reaching more than 100,000 women and girls through health outreach programmes.

“Since joining the organisation, I’ve been trained, mentored, and now earn income while helping other young women in my community,” said Diana Achieng, one of the founding ChangeMakers. “Today, I’m no longer a recipient of change. I’m a change-maker.”

At 600 square feet, the Mbita factory is designed for scale. Even at 50 percent capacity, it is projected to reach over 200,000 women annually. The model represents a shift toward manufacturing that is locally owned, locally led, and designed by women who understand the realities of their own communities.

GalCare supports the enterprise through training, technical assistance, and early-stage investment, with the goal of long-term ownership by the women running the factory. Every pack produced contributes directly to wages, skills development, and free pad distribution for schoolgirls, with more than 4,000 girls currently receiving products.

“From the beginning, this work has been led by the women on the ground,” said Peter McOdida, GalCare co-founder and public health expert. “Our role is to support their vision and help turn leadership and local knowledge into a viable business that serves the community.”

The launch was attended by community members, partners, media, and national and county leaders, including H.E. Governor Gladys Wanga of Homa Bay County.

“Galentine Care is not a charity. It is a social enterprise built on the understanding that dignity and development must go together,” said Governor Wanga. “By manufacturing high-quality sanitary pads locally and reinvesting revenues into community empowerment, this initiative strengthens both health outcomes and the local economy.”

Globally, more than 500 million women and girls experience period poverty. The Mbita factory demonstrates that this challenge can be addressed at scale through sustainable, women-led manufacturing. GalCare plans to replicate this model across Kenya in partnership with women’s groups and county governments.

“Mbita is the starting point,” said GalCare co-founder Stephanie March. “The model is designed to grow from here.”