Divine Ingabire, the founder of I Matter, a youth-led organisation that seeks to end period poverty and stigma to menstruation in all Rwandan schools, has been nominated for AfricTivistes Civic Action Prize 2021. The AfricTivistes Civic Action Prize is an initiative dedicated to the youth of the 54 countries of the African continent, aged 40 years or less, with the best projects that have high social impact in their countries. Ingabire started I matter in 2019, After graduating from the Adventist University of Central Africa with a degree in finance, by generating funds with the help of social media, and different donors. “When I was young I could encounter the same problem of period poverty, and I pledged to help end the problem in the country if I had a chance, so years later I thought the problem might not be there so I made my research starting from a school in the Northern Province and found out it was a recurring issue,” she said. Currently, I Matter supports 1,995 school girls by giving them pads throughout the school term and also holidays, and women from 470 rural income households from all provinces across the country. “We do not donate pads only, but we teach students about menstruation, boys and girls, with our lessons we hope to eradicate menstrual shame, by teaching young children how normal it is and grow up with that culture,” she added. “In Africa 1 in 10 miss classes because of lack of menstrual hygiene and menstrual products, but also lack of information about menstruation, this is not only a problem in our country but the whole continent, so we need to raise more awareness on the issue on the continent and winning AfricTivistes Civic Action Prize could make this possible” Ingabire added. In 2020 Ingabire was the first Rwandan to win the Human Rights Tulip award, for her initiative. From 379 contestants she made it to the top 10 finalists of AfricTivistes Civic Action Prize 2021, and her project stands a chance to win US$10,000 (Rwf10 million), computer and electronic equipment, a scholarship and grants to replicate her project model in other African countries.
