Experiencing Interruptions?

The M Word

Many female students in Uganda miss school and stay at home because of misconceptions surrounding menstruation. Some young women have to resort to using mud and old cloths during their periods when there are no available alternatives. Bana is a company based out of Mpigi, Uganda that manufactures affordable eco-friendly (100% biodegradable) sanitary pads, "BanaPads", to keep girls in school. They hire and train local women, "Champions" to sell their product and educate girls and their families about menstruation.

  • Paris Coyne
    Director
  • Shelby Crespi
    Producer
  • Keith Warner O.F.M
    Executive Producers
  • Thane Kreiner
    Executive Producers
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 16 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 7, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Uganda
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Paris Coyne

I am a 22 year old student at Santa Clara University with roots in Northern California. During my time at SCU I have tempered my studies to filmmaking and have found that my passion lies in the meeting of storytelling and social impact.

Luckily enough I was able to practice that passion after receiving a fellowship from The Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara. My fellowship partner and producer Shelby Crespi and I worked with two social businesses: BanaPads and Solar Sister. Our work was an intensive eight-week production in Uganda and Tanzania. This involved holding translated interviews in Kswahili and Luganda, with a distinct language barrier.

My experiences in Uganda and Tanzania have left me with an intense interest in the rise of female entrepreneurship and transformative gender roles in East Africa.

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Director Statement

Working with these women who do so much for their communities and who are such amazing role models for the next generation of young girls was a life-changing experience. I am so happy to have caught their voices on camera and I hope you enjoy hearing their stories.