UN World Cotton Day - Ladies Without Plastic| Fashionable reusable pads

 Making cotton fair and sustainable for all: from farm to fashion - Reusable pads "Ladies without plastic"

Hello World!

Welcome to our platform.

My name is Sofonie Dala, and today we are going to talk about World Cotton Day, celebrated on October 7th annually.

With the theme “Making cotton fair and sustainable for all: from farm to fashion”, we are taking this opportunity to present our project "Ladies Without Plastic" - reusable sanitary pads (also called cloth sanitary pads, cotton sanitary pads and washable sanitary pads) to eliminate waste, as they can be reused, and can save up to 150kg of plastic waste from entering the landfills per person.

Our reusable pads are eco-friendly, affordable and sustainable, allowing women and girls to always have access to safe menstrual protection, and help protect the environment, create a small income for themselves and their families by selling their extra products at the market.

Useful conversation between mother and daughter

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, thank you.

Did you know that today is world cotton day?

World cotton day? I didn't know.

Yes, every year on October 7th we celebrate World Cotton Day

What can we do with cotton?

We can do many things. We can make these "Ladies without Plastic" reusable menstrual pads to protect the environment.

Alright.

We can also make clothes, shoes and lots of good things, as well as other reusable and sustainable products.

As you can see, this menstrual pad is reusable and sustainable, we can wash it, hang it on the thread and at the same time protect the environment. They are very good and easy to use.

Isn't it an added value?

Yes, this is worth using it.

Better access to education and work

Lack of access to menstrual products has both short and long-term repercussions for women, girls and people who menstruate.

Period poverty, including the stigma that often surrounds menstruation, stops many people from going to school or work, leading them to miss out on their education or vital income to support themselves and their families.

In the long run, a lack of education can have several devastating impacts on a girl's life, including the possibility of child marriage, early pregnancy and vulnerability to violence and abuse. 

Weaving a better future for cotton

Cotton is one of the most common fabrics in our wardrobes. It is comfortable, hypoallergenic, breathable and durable.

But cotton represents so much more than just a commodity. This natural fabric is a life-changing product worldwide that sustains 32 million growers (almost half of them women) and benefits over 100 million families across 80 countries in 5 continents.

This means that, behind any cotton clothing, following back its trade chain, there is a personal story.

It is true that cotton is really important to developed economies, but for least-developed and developing countries, it is a safety-net.

Cotton is a major source of livelihoods and incomes for many rural smallholders and laborers, including women, providing employment and income to some of the poorest rural areas in the world.

On third official UN World Cotton Day,under the theme “Making cotton fair and sustainable for all: from farm to fashion”, the United Nations wants to raise visibility of the cotton sector and awareness of the critical role that it plays in economic development, international trade and poverty alleviation. 

The observance also aims to highlight the importance of sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

World Cotton Day, an idea that started thanks to the “Cotton Four”

The initiative of World Cotton Day was born in 2019, when four cotton producers in sub-Saharan Africa– Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali, known as the Cotton Four -proposed the World Trade Organization a World Cotton Day celebration on October 7.

During 2 consecutive years, the date offered an opportunity to share knowledge and showcase cotton-related activities.

Now that the United Nations has officially recognized this World Cotton Day, this great opportunity creates awareness of the need of market access for cotton and cotton-related products from least developed countries, fosters sustainable trade policies and enables developing countries to benefit more from every step of the cotton value chain.

A rules-based, non-discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive, predictable and transparent international cotton trading system is key to provide a livelihood to hundreds of millions of vulnerable people around the globe.

Besides, greater investments are needed to expand the sector beyond raw cotton production and create new income opportunities, especially for farmers, by adding more value to cotton fibre and developing by-products from other parts of the cotton plant.

UN agencies have worked years towards this mission. For instance, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) have helped C-4 to optimize production and improve local processing capacity, as well as to discuss the trade reforms needed to address high trade barriers and inequalities for cotton producers in developing countries. These efforts date back to 2003 through the Cotton Initiative.

Another UN agency, FAO, has long offered developing countries technical and policy support for boosting productivity and creating more opportunities in the cotton value chain. As an example, the +Cotton project, a cooperation initiative with Brazil (another leader in the industry) that helps Latin American producers to introduce innovative farming methods.

Let's keep working on offering the assistance to the cotton sector in developing countries to keep increasing productivity, investment and bring innovation and sustainable standards to increase the benefits of the cotton sector worldwide.

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

The Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13 or Global Goal 13) is to limit and adapt to climate change. It is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015.

The key role of decent work for all in achieving sustainable development is highlighted by Sustainable Development Goal 8 which aims to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all”.

Did you know?

• A single tonne of cotton provides year-round employment for 5 people on average, often in some of the most impoverished regions.
• Cotton-based filaments are appealing to 3D printers because they conduct heat well; become stronger when wet; and are more scalable than materials like wood.
• In addition to its fibre used in textiles and apparel, food products can be derived from cotton, such as edible oil and animal feed from the seed.

World Breastfeeding Week 2023: Let’s make breastfeeding and work, work!

 World Breastfeeding Week 2023: Let’s make breastfeeding and work, work!

Hello World!

My name is Sofonie Dala, we are promoting the World Breastfeeding Week 2023. Each year, from August 1st to August 7th, this significant week is observed in more than 170 countries to raise awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding and to encourage breastfeeding practices worldwide.

World Breastfeeding Week is an annual global event that celebrates and promotes the importance of breastfeeding for infants and young children. The theme for World Breastfeeding Week 2023 is "Let's make breastfeeding and work, work" This theme emphasises the critical role of both mothers and fathers in supporting breastfeeding and highlights the need for creating a supportive environment that enables breastfeeding for the health and well-being of the child.

Interview

Hello, My Name Is Luisa, I am a cook in a mini restaurant!

Mrs. Luisa, how long have you been working?

I've been working for two years.

How old is your baby?

She is one year and 2 weeks old.

Does your job make it difficult for you to breastfeed your baby?

A little, not much.

But is it manageable?

Yes, I can manage both.

How many children do you have?

I have 5 children.

Have you fed them all with breast milk?

Yes they all suckled on my breast.

Could you please share a little bit of your journey as a mother? How long they suckle, have you ever bought milk or not...

Usually my babies suckle until they are 2 years old, after they turn 2 years old I wean them. I have never bought milk to breastfeed my children due to the financial difficulties I face.

But have your babies been well nourished with breast milk?

Yes, they are well nourished.

Did you know that this is World Breastfeeding Week?

No, I didn't know.

Yes, it is a week that goes from August 1 to 7 every year, to promote breastfeeding, this campaign aims to encourage mothers so that they can breastfeed their babies until they are 2 years old.

Wow this is wonderful.

All right, Mrs. Luisa, What Have you been eating to increase breast milk?

I have been eating cassava, cassava with milk, fresh peanuts and lemon grass tea (herbal tea).

Are these foods good for increasing breast milk?

Yes, these foods are good and make me feel alright.

Support from employers is essential for working mothers to be able to exclusively breastfeed their children for up to six months, and supplemented for up to two years or more, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The target audience is local businessmen, trade unions and local trade associations, higher and technical education institutions, health professionals and civil society.

The objective is to provide guidance and raise awareness in society in general about the importance of this period of breastfeeding, bringing reflections and possibilities to strengthen strategies for mothers who return to the labor market and continue to breastfeed.

WHO data show that worldwide, annually, more than 820,000 lives of children under five years of age could be saved if all children from 0 to 23 months of age were properly breastfed. Sadly, worldwide, nearly 2 out of 3 babies are not exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life as recommended.

World Breastfeeding Week 2023 is observed from August 1 to August 7

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. However, contrary to WHO recommendations, fewer than half of infants under 6 months old are exclusively breastfed.

Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants. It is safe, clean and contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses. Breastmilk provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and it continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one third during the second year of life. 

Breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests, are less likely to be overweight or obese and less prone to diabetes later in life. Women who breastfeed also have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers. 

Inappropriate marketing of breast-milk substitutes continues to undermine efforts to improve breastfeeding rates and duration worldwide.

In 2018, a World Health Assembly resolution endorsed World Breastfeeding Week as an important health promotion strategy. With a different theme each year, it aims to promote the enabling environments that help women to breastfeed – including support in the community and the workplace, with adequate protections in government policies and laws - as well as sharing information on breastfeeding benefits and strategies.

Let’s make breastfeeding and work, work!

• More than half a billion working women are not given essential maternity protections in national laws
• Just 20% of countries require employers to provide employees with paid breaks and facilities for breastfeeding or expressing milk
• Fewer than half of infants under 6 months of age are exclusively breastfed.
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• Similar article
• Breastfeeding: Angolan mothers and their babies (afronutri-online-angola.blogspot.com)
• https://afronutri-online-angola.blogspot.com/2023/01/angolan-mothers-and-their-babies.html

Africa’s Women Day

 Happy Africa’s Women Day

We shape sustainable lifestyles by incentivizing eco-friendly decisions, discouraging unsustainable behaviours, and investing in adaptive initiatives. Discover and learn how cities wield transformative power in fostering climate resilience.

About Africa’s Women Day.

Africa’s Women’s Day is observed annually across the continent on 31 July and is a day earmarked to recognise and affirm the role of women’s organising in achieving the political freedom of Africa and advancing the social and economic status of women on the continent.

Africa’s Women’s Day was proclaimed as a day to be commemorated during the first conference of the Pan-African Women’s Organization (PAWO) which was held in July 1962 in Dar es Salaam Tanganyika (now known as Tanzania).

Africa’s Women’s Day offers a national, continental and global opportunity to recall and affirm the significant role of African women in the evolution of a strong Pan-African identity, with shared values, objectives and vision for the future, as well as women being key contributors towards achieving Africa’s inclusive growth and sustainable development agenda anchored in the AU vision of an integrated prosperous and peaceful Africa.

Ladies Without Plastic to address climate change through the Fashion and Art

 Fashion and Art in defence of the environment

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Welcome everyone to our Startup Talentos Multiplus. My name is Sofonie Dala, I'm the founder of this non-profit digital startup that creates awareness on the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Today we are here to talk about one of our most successful projects "Ladies without Plastic".

What is "Ladies Without Plastic"?

"Ladies Without Plastic" is a reusable menstrual pad made of cotton and cloth that aims to mobilize women to change plastic pads that pollute the environment causing climate change. We strongly recommend women to start using our reusable sanitary pads, which do not pollute the environment but reduce the pollution and is also much more cost effective..

This project aims to help reduce the high levels of unemployment in our country, by producing reusable products on a large scale so that more women can have access to these products, and together we can end the period of poverty.  We seek to create partnerships with governments, private organizations and other institutions in order to receive financial support.

Through our projects we fight against climate change and environmental pollution, empowering, mobilizing youth, women and girls with non-formal sustainable development training.

This business model, in addition to being educational, also has a very beautiful fashion style. This style intrigues women and makes them very thoughtful. By reading Ladies Without Plastics, they will be learning that plastics pollute the environment.

In 2022 we won the third place in the Young Innovator Award competition. We were happy with the prize of a 1000.000, 00 Angolan kwanzas, which helped us to buy at least one sewing machine.

 Unfortunately, it was not enough for us to reach all project goals.

The project needs more support and sponsorships to move up to the next stage which is the implementation and expansion of the project. We have at the top of our agenda the recruitment of some girls and women, since this project not only aims to reduce environmental pollution but also to reduce poverty and unemployment among girls and women.

Learn more: https://ladies-without-plastic.blogspot.com/2022/07/congratulations-we-won-1st-edition-of.html

Therefore, we need more financial resources to support those women and girls who will be producing these menstrual pads. We will also be offering capacity building trainings to equip them with the skills needed for them to get ahead and not be totally dependent on the company. These trainings will help them produce and distribute pads in their communities and neighborhoods that will allow them to generate income for themselves.

We also continue organizing community campaigns to make people aware of the importance of achieving the 17 sustainable goals of the United Nations.

For this project we have already bought a machine, but we have not been able to buy other necessary equipment to continue our project.

These plastic pads that are sold in supermarkets are very expensive and not every woman has the possibility to buy them. It has been a great challenge for a poor mothers with many daughters.

As a solution, we developed Ladies Without Plastic menstrual pad, which is more durable and cheaper. Some women will be able to resell and earn their income.

The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to proclaim March 30 as International Day of Zero Waste every year, and 105 countries have adopted it so far. During this time, UN member states, civil society, the private sector, academia, the youth and other stakeholders are invited to raise awareness of all available zero-waste and waste-management initiatives in the hope that we could come together to eliminate the problem entirely.

In order to make a change, we need to promote circular consumption systems, where the resources at each step of the product's life cycle are reused and recovered. This can significantly minimise damage to our air, land and water. 

Industries should contribute by making products more durable and costing fewer low-impact materials. Manufacturers could also opt for less resource-intensive production and transportation methods.

"Zero-waste initiatives can foster sound waste management and minimise and prevent waste, helping to address the triple planetary crisis, protect the environment, enhance food security and improve human health and well-being," the UN note outlines.

We support the SDG4 - quality education and will be keeping offering capacity building training to equip young women with skills to face climate change, especially those living in the most affected areas.

INTERVIEW

Hello!

Hello.

How are you?

I am fine. And you?

Great!

What is your name?

Edvania.

Pleasure to meet you.

Edvania, what do you have in your hands?

I have 2 types of sanitary pads.

Do you always use these pads?

Yes.

Which one do you use the most?

I always use the plastic sanitary pad, but the cloth one I've used a few times.

How have you been using them?

Well, the cloth one is reusable, I can use it several times, but the plastic one is disposable, it is used only once.

What was your experience with the cloth pad?

It has been more economical for me, but the plastic one you always will need money to buy it.

Sustainable music

Let's use the reusable one, plastic-free ladies

Let's use the reusable one, plastic-free girls

Protect the environment, limit pollution,

Let's use the reusable pad, ladies without plastic!

We, as startups, will start promoting environmental awareness campaigns even more strongly in order to educate and help people reduce their carbon footprint on the environment.

Learn more about our work

https://linktr.ee/sofoniedala

Fraudulent competition - Angola Education Awards - SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR / BEST SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROJECT

 Fraudulent competition - Angola Education Awards 

Results of the fraudulent competition

 Greetings friends. 

Thank you for voting. Engineer Sofonie Dala, based on the results, won the competition with the majority of votes, but she was being a victim of fraud, this started from the beginning of the competition.

Apparently, the organizers of this event lack knowledge and high skills to evaluate candidates in different areas of knowledge.

The end of this competition was very ugly, painted with theft, dishonesty, corruption, nepotism, lack of transparency, misinformation, slander and favoritism.

We first received a message that we were approved. The following days we received a false and fraudulent message saying that they thought again and decided to give our place to their favorites ones who were unable to win the competition.

From the beginning of the competition, the organizers tried in any way to obscure the strong candidates, putting only a simple description of their profile and achievements, while their affiliates had a full biography.

We also noticed that very important information about Sofonie Dala's research, discoveries and achievements were hidden by the organizers and it was clear that they did this out of spite.

We wrote official complaints about the harm they caused us. To date we have not received any response.

This organization is not serious.

Unsustainable competition and a waste of time.

These types of abusive behavior always happen in competitions organized by Africans, these are one of the reasons that make us lose interest in participating in competitions where the committee is completely made up of Africans.

We need to put an end to these harmful practices in competitions. It is unacceptable to lose opportunities because of envious people.

ATTENTION - FRAUD

URGENT INTERVENTION NEEDED 

Did you know?

The same injustice happened with our hybrid learning platform "She Leads Angola".

We also submitted this platform to compete in the category of best education, science and technology portal, fortunately at the beginning of the month we received a notification saying that we had successfully passed to the next phase, they asked us to send our portal's logo, we didn't hesitate we sent our logo immediately the next day, still within the deadline. A few days later, after they realized that our platform has the potential to win the contest, we received another false message saying that at the weekend the judges sat down and decided to put our portal out of the competition and decided to give priority to their favorites and affiliates. from them. Consequently, they removed our portal from the list.

It is a lie, they stole our place.

What type of crime is that?

Dear all, we are dealing with very serious fraud, we are dealing with highly dangerous professionals.

Another important detail that we find suspicious is the change in the email that was used to submit the applications. Engineer Sofonie Dala used her work email to submit our platform "She Leads Angola, but when they sent the announcement about the selection of our portal they used her other personal email that she used to apply in the category of, "scientist of the year".

That's when we discovered something wasn't clean.

Of course we protested when they sent that second fraudulent email. They just ignored it and didn't respond.

That's how this dishonest game began, accompanied by persecution.

Another mistake is that they did not send any notification to participants confirming that their application was submitted successfully.

In case of fraud the participant wouldn't have any proof confirming that he had submitted something.

That's why Angola and other African countries are the way they are.

VOTE FOR SOFONIE DALA, CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW, YOU WILL NEED TO SIGN IN WITH YOUR GMAIL ACCOUNT TO VOTE.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeP4StZZhnAjVBnljgLX-vxyj9jHJ0HF0VJ8rLMtHIdKtJ86A/alreadyresponded

We are happy to see our founder Sofonie Dala on the list of Young Scientists of Angola, and we are even prouder that she is the only female candidate on the list.

This means that gender disparity remains a major problem in Angola. We need to balance this picture, we need to end gender inequality in the country and so that in the next editions more women scientists appear on the list.

THIS IMAGE PERFECTLY SHOWS THE GENDER DISPARITY IN SCIENCE

Gender inequality in science

How should a better gender balance be achieved?

Why are women underrepresented in many areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)? This is a question with no easy answers. In science, as in many areas of life, bias against women exists, but researchers disagree on how much bias matters: Some suggest that the effects of bias accumulate over time to shape careers, whereas others argue that gender differences in preferences are much more important. However, it is likely impossible to disentangle the effects of societal bias and individual preferences, because people's understanding of gender differences shape their preferences. 

Advancing Climate Justice Through the SDGs - The Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers. By Sofonie Dala, Angola

 Commemorating the Second Anniversary of Africa Educates Her Campaign, Angola

Ladies Without Plastic - Advancing Climate Justice Through the SDGs

Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to the 3rd edition of this extremely important educational documentary.

In this edition we are providing non-formal training in rural communities to advance climate justice through the SDGs.

Good afternoon!

Good afternoon!

How are you?

We're fine thank you!

How many of you have heard about climate change?

hmmm

Have you ever heard about climate change?

No.

And the environment?

Not either.

Never heard of the environment?

No, never.

Today we are going to talk about the importance you can have in protecting the environment. We will also talk about environmental pollution.

Did you know that plastic pollutes the environment?

We didn't know.

Seriously?

Hello! I am Sofonie Dala, we are here in rural communities to include people from this social group to participate in environmental protection ideas.

We will talk about the role these rural girls can play to protect the environment and we will also talk about the importance of reusable menstrual pads in the life of women and girls.

How many of you here already menstruate?

Both of us.

Take this. Have you ever heard about these types of sanitary napkins?

Yup.

What is this called?

Hmm absorbent.

These are reusable menstrual pads.

Do you use this type?

No no.

Girls what kind of menstrual pad do you use?

We use the plastic menstrual pad.

Did you know that plastic menstrual pads pollute the environment?

We didn't know.

Yes, plastic menstrual pads pollute the environment. We girls must be very careful with these products. Especially you little girls who haven't started menstruating yet. When you start menstruating, look for these washable and reusable pads.

Pay attention, reusable pads are better than plastic menstrual pads.

Plastic menstrual pads take many years to decompose, generate greenhouse gases and cause global warming.

Many girls miss school because they don't have the money to buy plastic menstrual pads which are very expensive.

That's why we should use reusable menstrual pads to protect the environment. In addition, they are also more economical and sustainable. They can last for 4 years and you won't have to spend money monthly to buy menstrual pads.

Let's all wear reusable menstrual pads to protect the environment.

What I have here is organic cotton, we bought this to be producing washable and reusable towels and distributing them free of charge to girls in rural communities. 

Taking pledge

Girls giving good testimonies of what they learned today.

Hello!

My name isTeresa, I'm 15 years old and I want to protect my menstrual health.

Before I was using plastic pads, now I will be using reusable menstrual pads, because I now know that plastic pads pollute the environment.

With these softer, reusable and washable pads, thousands of girls like Teresa will be able to stay in school and create a future for themsleves.

Ladies without plastic, I'm going to get rid of the plastic pads.

SAY NO TO SINGLE USE PLASTIC PADS AND LET'S END PERIOD POVERTY

We advocate for behavioral change to reduce earth vulnerability to climate change and global warming from disposable sanitary pads, at the same time mobilizing women and girls to switch back to the use of reusable sanitary pads.

Our mission is to empower women who face extreme poverty to become self-sufficient and entrepreneurial by teaching them how to make the pads themselves and enabling them to turn their acquired skill into a business.

Children singing in chorus: Let's use reusable products.

Fight against climate change, let's all protect the environment!

No young girl should miss school because of her period! 

Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets, hand washing facilities, and, or, waste management and affects millions of girls and women worldwide.

Every month, 1.8 billion people across the world menstruate. Millions of girls and women are by period poverty not only in developing countries but also in developed countries and millions of girls and women cannot attend school or work due to lack of menstrual products or clean sanitary facilities.

We continue to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Africa Educates Her Campaign with Sofonie Dala, Angola.

If you missed part 1 and 2, please click here:

1. Congratulations! We are Celebrating the Second Anniversary of Africa Educates Her Campaign - Angola (sdgs 4;5;13) (she-leads.blogspot.com)

https://she-leads.blogspot.com/2022/09/congratulations-we-are-celebrating.html

2. Observing the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste - Africa Educates Her Campaign - Part 2 (SDG 4, 12 & 13) (she-leads.blogspot.com)

https://she-leads.blogspot.com/2022/10/observing-international-day-of.html