Waste Reimagined: Brenda’s Sustainable Pads Helping Girls Manage Menstruation Safely

At Young Africa Zimbabwe, sustainability is a way of shaping skills, creativity, and climate action. For Brenda Chimukonda, a Dressmaking student, it has been an enlightening journey.

Before enrolling at Young Africa, Brenda admits she had little understanding of the value of waste:

“I used to burn leftover materials from my sewing projects because I didn’t know what else to do with them,” she recalls. “I never imagined that waste could actually become something useful.”

That perspective changed when Young Africa rolled out its Greening Strategy, aimed at integrating environmental consciousness into all courses. Students are taught to separate waste, recycle materials, and use creativity to turn discarded items into products that benefit both their communities and the planet.

“Through the waste management lessons, I learnt to see value where I used to see rubbish,” Brenda explains. “That’s how I started experimenting, making reusable sanitary pads and designing stylish clothes from leftover fabrics. It sparked my creativity and opened up new ways to apply my fashion sense.”

Brenda now sells her creations, providing affordable, sustainable solutions while generating income. Her pads are eco-friendly and socially impactful, helping young girls manage menstruation safely and sustainably. Meanwhile, her fashion pieces demonstrate how discarded materials can be reimagined into unique, wearable art.

Her story highlights a broader trend at Young Africa, where students are encouraged to become climate action champions. By learning to manage waste responsibly, they reduce environmental harm and also tap into the circular economy, creating skills, livelihoods, and opportunities from materials that would otherwise go to waste.

“I feel proud that something I used to throw away is now making a difference,” Brenda says. “Young Africa taught me that sustainability and entrepreneurship can go hand in hand.”

Brenda’s journey is one example of how integrating greening strategies into vocational training equips youth with skills to thrive economically while protecting the environment. Across Zimbabwe, Young Africa students are showing that with innovation, resourcefulness, and the right guidance, waste is no longer a problem but a starting point.