Research Activities:

We spent 8 weeks living, working, traveling and conducting research with Bana and its extensive network engaging in participant observation, conducting interviews, and creating ethnographic field notes. We observed how Bana staff interacts with various members of local communities and how they conduct their menstruation education workshops and business skills training. The workshops and trainings teach schoolgirls to manage menstruation and basic knowledge needed to generate income and provide for themselves. The observations were conducted at two primary schools and five secondary schools where we were able to observe Bana interact with over 150 schoolgirls. In addition, we conducted observations at five community-meeting places, one health clinic, one Bana collection center, and repeatedly at Bana headquarters. The interview guide — created collaboratively with the Bana team — included questions pertaining to the impact the enterprise has had on personal lives and the communities. We conducted 28 group and individual interviews with Champions (saleswomen), users, parents of users, teachers, and health clinic workers. While in the field we took 87 pages of ethnographic field notes.

Key Findings:

1. 1. Pads + Education = Impact. The combination of the availability of pads and the education efforts enables Bana to realize its mission.
   2. Change Agents. Bana relies on word-of-mouth communication and taps into existing communal networks in order to spread awareness of the mission. Those spreading knowledge and awareness about Bana’s mission become change agents in their community.
   3. Demand. Bana’s educational and outreach efforts have created greater demand for their products and services than they can currently provide given their limited resources. Mechanizing the manufacturing process of pads is one of the key steps needed to take in order for Bana to satisfy demand.