🌍 Story: A Movement for Dignity, Education, and Sustainability — The Story of Ladies Without Plastic

 

A Mission Born from Necessity

In the capital of Angola, a powerful movement is growing—one that weaves together dignity, education, environmental responsibility, and women's empowerment. 

At the end of 2021, Sofonie Dala, visionary CEO of the global startup Talentos Múltiplus, launched a revolutionary initiative called Ladies Without Plastic—a reusable menstrual pad model designed to fight period poverty, reduce carbon footprints, and ensure no woman or girl is left behind due to a natural biological process.

This innovation is more than a product—it’s a symbol of freedom, especially for girls and women who are often excluded from school, work, or public life because they cannot access safe, affordable, and sustainable menstrual hygiene solutions.

Breaking Taboos and Building Futures

For the first time in Angola, a reusable menstrual pad became a household name. Women of all ages—teenagers, young adults, adults, middle-aged, and even elderly women—have been welcomed at the Talentos Múltiplus headquarters for tea and transformative training sessions on sustainable menstruation led by the founder herself. These moments offer more than just education—they offer community, dignity, and hope.

At the end of every session, each woman leaves with a free kit of reusable pads generously provided by Yorkits, a UK-based organization devoted to menstrual health and education. But Talentos doesn’t stop there. For Angola’s most vulnerable—those in rural and remote regions—the CEO herself travels to reach them, determined that geography should not determine access to dignity.

Recognition and Growth on a Global Stage

In 2022, Talentos’ work was recognized with its first international award of $1,000, signaling global acknowledgment of its local impact. Since then, the team has worked tirelessly to build partnerships with organizations in developed countries, seeking shared vision and long-term collaboration.

By 2024, Sofonie Dala had earned a prestigious scholarship in the UK, and in 2025, she officially joined the Yorkits team, bringing the movement full circle. With their help, Talentos has been able to scale distribution in Angola and expand awareness efforts, making real, measurable impacts in women’s health, environmental protection, and gender equality.

A New Kind of Celebration: 5 Years of Talentos & Africa Educates Her

This year marks the fifth anniversary of Talentos Múltiplus and the Africa Educates Her Campaign. But instead of a party, Talentos is celebrating through action—by observing, monitoring, and listening to the realities on the ground. The findings are alarming.

Across municipalities, the story is hauntingly the same: thousands of girls and children are out of school, often because they lack a national ID or because their families cannot afford to support them. In countless communities, you don’t need formal research—a simple conversation reveals a systemic crisis: no education, no money, no documentation.

This reality highlights the urgent need for the Angolan government to develop national strategies, enforce registration policies, and launch mass awareness campaigns that make it mandatory—and easy—for citizens to obtain their national identification documents. No child should be illiterate because of bureaucratic failure or parental negligence.

Conclusion 

Leaving No One Behind

The story of Ladies Without Plastic is not just about menstrual pads—it’s about sustainable development, equality, and human rights. It embodies the core of the UN Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 1: No Poverty – Fighting period poverty directly improves access to education and opportunity.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – Ensuring menstrual hygiene promotes physical and mental health.
• SDG 4: Quality Education – Removing menstrual barriers and ID obstacles allows girls to stay in school.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality – Empowering girls and women to manage their health with dignity.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – Reaching remote and vulnerable populations ensures inclusivity.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – Promoting reusable products significantly reduces environmental waste.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – Advocating for universal access to national ID for all citizens.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Collaborating globally, from Angola to the UK, for sustainable impact.

Talentos Múltiplus is not just imagining a better future for women and girls—it is building it, one reusable pad, one training, one girl at a time. Together, we rise to ensure no girl is left behind, not because of her gender, her poverty, or her geography.

Let this be a call to governments, organizations, and individuals across the globe: dignity is not a privilege—it’s a right.

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Empowering Through Empathy — Stitching Dignity, Bridging the Gender Gap

 

A Shining Wednesday with Yorkits ✨

It’s been a lovely, energetic Wednesday for this spirited African girl — a heart full of purpose, hands full of work, and a room full of vibrant energy. Today wasn’t just another day for her or the Yorkits team. It was something special.

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Guests arrived — a group of young, eager engineers — full of curiosity and technical skill. But there was something striking: a 99% gender gap. Just one young woman stood among a sea of boys. And yet, what unfolded was deeply touching — young men cutting sensitive fabrics for women's hygiene kits, gently ironing them, sewing with care.

This is what we call gender-sensitive training in motion — real, hands-on empathy being built, one stitch at a time.

The Yorkits workshop was a joyful buzz of activity. A whole range of tasks brought everyone together — using templates to cut bags, pads, and pad pockets, guiding fabric under sewing machines with focus and care, ironing between stages, hand-sewing press studs, and finally, assembling complete kits once every piece was perfectly placed.

It wasn’t just work. It was vibrant collaboration, bright smiles, and shared purpose. The room glowed with intention. It wasn’t just about making kits — it was about making a difference.

At Yorkits, every stitch tells a story — of dignity, inclusion, and the quiet power of community. And on this shining Wednesday, that story came alive. 🌸

Stitching for a Better World — One Kit at a Time 🌍

The work done by the Yorkits team goes far beyond sewing — it directly contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, to SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 5: Gender Equality, and SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, these kits help girls stay in school, manage menstruation with dignity, and foster conversations that challenge stigma.

And by involving boys and men in this traditionally "female" space, Yorkits advances SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities — proving that empathy, when taught and practiced, can break barriers and build a future where everyone, regardless of gender, has a role in ensuring dignity for all.

#Yorkits #SDGsInAction #PeriodDignity #GenderEquality #YouthEmpowerment #MenstruationMatters #TogetherForChange