Community-Embedded Menstrual Health & Dignity Model (C-RMHDM)
MLC Voyager | Mentor and Develop Others
The Community-Embedded Menstrual Health & Dignity Model (C-RMHDM) is a system-integrated approach to menstrual health delivery implemented in Kisii County, Kenya. It combines pad access, structured education, and continuous support through schools and Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), reaching over 25,000 adolescent girls and young women in low-income communities, with a clear pathway to scale to 40,000 beneficiaries. The innovation addresses menstrual poverty, school absenteeism, and stigma by embedding menstrual health into existing public systems for sustained, scalable impact.
25,000 Lives Impacted
The Community-Embedded Menstrual Health & Dignity Model (C-RMHDM) has directly reached over 25,000 adolescent girls and young women in low-income communities in Kisii County, Kenya. The innovation has improved menstrual hygiene practices by increasing access to safe menstrual products, reducing reliance on unsafe alternatives, and strengthening menstrual health knowledge through structured education.
A key impact has been the reduction of school absenteeism associated with menstruation, as girls are better equipped to manage their periods with confidence and dignity. Through continuous support provided by Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), the model has also improved sustained product use and reinforced positive behavioural change at the household level.
Beyond individual outcomes, the innovation has contributed to shifting community perceptions by engaging caregivers, teachers, and local leaders to address stigma and misinformation around menstruation.
Key milestones include establishing a coordinated delivery model across more than 30 schools and CHV networks, demonstrating proof of sustained demand and adoption. This foundation now supports a clear pathway to scale the model to 40,000 beneficiaries through integration into county health and education systems, enabling long-term, system-driven impact.
The Innovation
The Community-Embedded Menstrual Health & Dignity Model (C-RMHDM) is a system-integrated approach to menstrual health delivery implemented in Kisii County, Kenya. It addresses menstrual poverty by embedding menstrual health services into existing public systems rather than relying on standalone distribution programmes. The model combines access to menstrual pads with structured menstrual health education and continuous follow-up support delivered through schools and Community Health Volunteers (CHVs).
In practice, schools serve as structured entry points for adolescent girls, providing education sessions and initial product distribution, while CHVs ensure household-level follow-up, reinforce correct usage, and support sustained behavioural change. Community engagement with caregivers and local leaders helps reduce stigma and improve long-term acceptance.
The innovation currently reaches over 25,000 adolescent girls and young women across more than 30 schools and community units in Kisii County. It is unique in its systems-based design, which integrates health and education structures to ensure continuity, affordability, and sustained impact, rather than one-off interventions.
The model is designed for scalability through integration into county health and education systems. There is a clear pathway to expand coverage to 40,000 beneficiaries in the near term, with potential replication across other counties in Kenya and similar peri-urban African contexts through public system adoption.
About Mentor and Develop Others
Mentor And Develop Others (MADO) Community-Based Organization is a Kenya-based grassroots organization focused on advancing health, education, and dignity outcomes for girls and women in low-income communities. Their mission is to design and implement community-embedded, systems-based solutions that address structural barriers to health and education access. We envision a future where every girl can learn, grow, and thrive with dignity, supported by sustainable and locally integrated public systems.
