Mariam Seba Products Factory (MSPF) is a social-impact organization located in the east-African nation of Ethiopia. We manufacture reusable sanitary pads for girls and women, many of whom do not have access to feminine hygiene products.
Our sanitary pads are easy to wash, reliable, and most importantly, affordable.
Mariam Seba Products Factory (MSPF) was founded by Ethiopian-American chemical engineer, Freweini Mebrahtu.
Her inspiration to create reusable sanitary pads came from her time as a child in Ethiopia. As a girl she, and girls like her, did not have access to proper sanitary pads. This meant that having their period was an inconvenient and embarrassing part of their lives.
Girls and women without access to sanitary pads sequester themselves during their menstruation causing them to miss school and withdraw from their duties in caregiving, farming and animal husbandry.
Freweini realized that the effect this was having on women's education, sense of self-worth and the overall economy was immense and something had to be done. So in 2009, Freweini founded MSPF in Ethiopia's northern city of Mekelle.
At the end of 2019, Freweini was named "Hero of the Year" by CNN in an annual "campaign that shines a spotlight and honors individuals who are making extraordinary contributions to help improve the lives of others." She was chosen for her tireless and selfless work help underprivileged African women in the area of menstrual hygiene management.
In addition to making sanitary pads accessible and affordable, CNN recognised Freweini for her efforts to educate girls as well as the broader public about menstruation so as to remove its cultural stigma.
It was from amongst thousands of candidates, from dozens of countries, that Freweini was named CNN Hero of the Year for 2019.
