Amazona, Brazil — Talking about menstruation can still be a taboo in many regions of Brazil. But one group of young students from Amazonas State decided to turn silence into dialogue, shame into empathy, and lack of information into knowledge. The project “Jaci: Women’s Health Indicator,” one of the 10 finalists in the 2024 edition of Solve for Tomorrow Brazil, was born from attentive listening to a common but often ignored reality: the challenges faced by girls in vulnerable situations when menstruating at school.

When Girls Care for Girls

It all started at the end of 2023, when Marcele de Araújo, a former student in the public school system and participant in the program since 2022, took on the role of mentor for a new group of students interested in participating in the initiative. From a conversation among friends emerged the story of a young girl who had experienced embarrassment during her period — an experience that, as they soon realized, was shared by many other girls at school and in the community.

With the support of teacher Galileu da Silva Pires, the team from the State School Nossa Senhora de Nazaré in Manacapuru launched a simple yet powerful project: installing a dispenser with sanitary pads in the girls’ bathrooms. The initial idea evolved, gaining an important component of social and technological innovation: creating a pad capable of identifying pH variations. The goal was to offer, beyond menstrual dignity, a preventive indicator of possible changes in the girls’ intimate health, such as infections or vaginal imbalances.

Still in the research phase, the prototype proposes a basic alert through colors (acidic, neutral, or basic), providing an initial level of information about the user’s health status. The students also created a comic book illustrating how to use the prototype and raising awareness about menstrual health in the community. There will also be a second edition created by other girls continuing the project, so that it can keep helping girls in the region. “Talking about menstruation is still a taboo. So, thinking of a project that not only provides the product but also information and education is very important,” says Marcele.

Empathy-Based Education Beyond Science

Presented entirely by girls, the project faced challenges within the school itself. In some middle school classes, some students didn’t even know what menstruation was. According to Marcele, many girls lived only with paternal figures who avoided or didn’t know how to address the subject. Therefore, the group developed an education and support strategy that goes beyond the technology, with separate talks for girls and boys that address both biological aspects and issues of empathy and respect.

“One of the girls told us she had her first period on a boat and was so embarrassed that she didn’t want to study anymore,” Marcele recalls. “We had to talk, support, and explain that it’s normal. That really touched us.” Throughout the journey, stories like this became fuel for the group to continue expanding the project to other schools and communities in the region.

Expanding Access to Jaci for Everyone

More than developing a product, the Jaci project represents a step forward in visibility for women’s health in school environments. It also highlights the importance of female representation and the fight against menstrual poverty through science, education, and technology initiatives, promoting social change through active listening and local engagement.

The experience with Solve for Tomorrow also had a direct impact on Marcele’s personal development. “Before, I was very shy. Mentoring and presenting the project helped me gain confidence and see a different future for myself and my city,” she affirms.

Now, the group remains committed to the mission of bringing information, dignity, and health to other communities in the northern region of Brazil. The plan is to continue the project in public schools, expand the reach of the talks and complete the research on the pH-measuring pad. “I’m proud to see that, little by little, we’ve managed to break the taboo and transform the reality of girls in our community and beyond,” Marcele says. “In fact, a girl from Minas Gerais contacted us to thank us for the initiative, which was meaningful.”

To learn more about Jaci, follow the project’s Instagram page.