Last week, we welcomed back New Hall alumna Ella Lambert (2012-2018) to speak to the current Year 10-13 students about her charity, The Pachamama Project.

The Pachamama Project is a charity which helps to eradicate period poverty, and break the stigma surrounding periods, through the creation of reusable sanitary pads, made from recycled materials, which have been named ‘Pacha Pads’. These pads are then sent to vulnerable communities and refugee camps to help women and girls.

(Right) Ella pictured with Dr Stephanie Foster, Deputy Head of Sixth Form, and her former A Level English Teacher

In Ella’s words: 

“As a woman who has dealt with painful periods from early adolescence into adulthood, I feel very strongly about fighting period poverty. Refugees already face so many unimaginable challenges, I want to make sure that finding safe sanitary products is not yet another impossible problem for women to overcome.” 

500 million women, girls and people who menstruate deal with period poverty worldwide, including one in ten girls in the UK. Period poverty leads to infections, discomfort and a loss of dignity as well as contributing to wider gender inequality. Students around the world are missing school monthly or even dropping out due to their period, including one in three girls in India.

Ella has over 2,000 volunteers around the world who have made over 100,000 Pacha Pads since 2020, when the charity was founded.

In a recent interview with us, Ella said:

“Really anyone with access to a sewing machine and a bit of free time can join us. I didn’t know how to sew when I started the project so if I can make the pads anyone can! To get involved just pop us an email at [email protected] and we’ll send you the YouTube tutorial, instructions and all the info.”

During her visit to New Hall, Ella held a Pacha Pad workshop for students to learn how to make these pads using the three specific fabrics and stencils to create them. She encouraged students and staff to donate pieces of cotton and towel material to making these reusable pads – especially those with pretty and fun patterns!

It was a fascinating day, in which Ella spoke about the stigma surrounding periods and the stories of people whom she had met in refugee camps, who need her charity’s help.  

(Right) Ella showing a current student how to assemble the pads

We are delighted to share that, after the Easter break, we will be introducing a new New Hall Voluntary Service (NHVS) group called the Pacha Club in which students and volunteers will be making these reusable sanitary pads for The Pachamama Project to deliver across the world. If you are interested in volunteering at one of the NHVS groups, please do get in touch!

We look forward to seeing where Ella’s charity work takes her, and how The Pachamama Project grows! If you would like to keep up to date with the charity, make sure to follow them on Instagram: @thepachaproject

Ella with Mrs Kate Hall, Head of Health Education, holding the first Pacha Pad made at New Hall School