New Sense in Nuisance - JaniPad

NEW SENSE 

IN NUISANCE 

Reality Studio, spring ‘09 

Karin Lidman, Sophie Thornander, Marc Hoogendijk, 

Lars Marcus Vedeler, Kristin Tobiassen 

Reality Studio 09 - New Sense in Nuisance 

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Abstract 

’New Sense in Nuisance’ is a project in the course 

‘Sustainable Development in a Southern Context’, 

also known as ‘Reality Studio’, at Chalmers University 

of Technology, Sweden. Our project area description 

was determined after two weeks of exposure to 

different parts of the society and the environment 

in Kenya. The green mat of floating water hyacinths 

covering the surface of Lake Victoria made a strong 

impact on us all and we came to understand the many 

problems that the ecosystem as well as inhabitants in 

many parts of the world face due to its presence. We 

decided to focus on how this invasive species could 

be utilised as a resource, turning what many have 

regarded as a nuisance to something that is seen as 

advantageous. By doing so, we aspired to control the 

amount of water hyacinths on Lake Victoria as well 

as to provide employment for the local population. 

Our time in Kenya was spent exploring possible 

materials and products that could be made of the 

water hyacinth. With simple means on the rooftop 

of our guesthouse, we created a range of different 

products. Upon our return to Sweden, we decided to 

continue our project with developing a sanitary pad 

out of water hyacinth. This decision was based on the 

good water absorption capability of the plant and that 

870 000 Kenyan schoolgirls miss four days of school 

each month due to a lack of a low cost sanitary pad. 

The way in which we have approached our project has 

been different from a typical design process; we started 

with a raw material, processing it in different ways 

to create new materials, and thereafter investigating 

how these could be implemented in a sanitary pad. 

The process has been very iterative and new findings 

have forced us to rethink our concepts many times. 

In addition, we have had a hands-on approach, as 

we wanted to keep the production process simple in 

order to make the pad as inexpensive as possible. Our 

final concept is a biodegradable sanitary pad with the 

different layers made entirely out of water hyacinth 

papers. A product such as this would not only be 

a better ecological alternative to the conventional 

disposable pad, but would also have an economical 

as well as social impact on the lives of many women. 

Being able to protect oneself during menstruation is 

a basic need among women and should not exclude 

those in poverty. 


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Table of Content 

PHASE I 5 

Introduction to Phase I 6 

Introduction to Reality Studio 6 

Introduction to ‘New Sense in Nuisance’ 7 

Aim of Project 7 

Background Information 9 

Natural Fibres 9 

Plant Biology 9 

The Water Hyacinths on Lake Victoria 10 

The Impact of the Water Hyacinth on the Lake Victoria Region 11 

Effects on the Inhabitants 11 

Ecological Effects 11 

Controlling the Spread of Water Hyacinths 12 

Controlling the Hyacinths on Lake Victoria 13 

Applications of Water Hyacinths 14 

Products 14 

Energy 14 

Water Purification 14 

Applications of Water Hyacinths in Kisumu 15 

The Rope-Making Business 16 

The Process – from Petiole to Rope 16 

Identified Problems with Harvesting 17 

Process 19 

Rope-Strength Testing 19 

Absorption Test 19 

Colouring the Petioles 19 

Paper 20 

Fibreboards 21 

Stool 23 

Transport Protection 23 

Diaper 23 

Woven Mats 24 

Thread 24 

The Splitter 24 

Interacting with People in Kenya 25 

Workshop 25 

The Exhibition at Kenyatta Sport Grounds, Kisumu 26 

Discussion on Phase I 27 

Prerequisites for Phase II 28 

Arguments for Utilising the Water Hyacinth as a Resource 28 

Potential Problems in Utilising the Water Hyacinth as a Resource 28 

Direction of Project in Phase II 29 

PHASE II 30 

Introduction to Phase II 31 

Motivation of Product Choice 31 

Additional Project Aims 31 

Background Information II 33 

Existing Female Hygiene Products 33 

Sanitary Pads 33 

Tampons 33 

Menstrual Sponges 33 

Menstrual Cups 33 

Sanitary Protection in Developing Countries 33 

Affordability 34 

Hygienic Risks with Improvised Sanitary Products 35 

Lack Of Sanitation Facilities 35 

Disposal 35 

Cultural Perceptions and Prerequisites 36 

Construction of a Conventional Sanitary Pad 37 

Materials 38 

Nonwoven 38 

Possible Ways of Making Materials Hydrophobic 39 

Sizing Agents 39 

Natural Fats 39 

Process II 41 

Deriving Design Criteria 42 

Design Criteria for the Sanitary Pad 42 

Design Criteria for the Packaging 42 


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Developing Materials 43 

Tree of Materials for Different Layers of the Sanitary Pad 43 

Making Paper 44 

Making Nonwoven 47 

Material Testing 48 

Testing of Heavy Metals 48 

Absorption Testing 49 

Hydrophobic Testing 50 

Evaluation of Materials 51 

Absorbent 51 

Surface Layer & Barrier Layer 51 

Packaging 51 

Developing a Sanitary Pad 53 

Evaluation of Disposable versus Reusable Sanitary Pads 53 

Brainstorming on Fastening Methods 53 

Evaluation of Fastening Methods 55 

Generating Concepts for the Whole Pad 56 

Evaluation of the Pad Concepts 57 

Further Development of Pad Concepts 58 

Developing Packaging & Brand 59 

Brainstorming on Packaging 59 

Further Development of the Packaging Concept 60 

Developing Product Name & Graphics 60 

Result 62 

Final Product 62 

Sanitary Pad 62 

Packaging 64 

Brand 65 

Implementation 66 

Harvesting 66 

Manufacturing 66 

Distribution 67 

Making Use of the Entire Plant 67 

Continuation 69 

Discussion on Phase II 70 

Fulfilment of Project Aims 70 

The Project Work 71 

References 72 

Appendix I 75 

Appendix II 76 

Appendix III 77 

Appendix III 78 

Appendix IV 79 

Appendix V 80 

Appendix VI 81 

Appendix VII 82 

Appendix VIII 83 

Appendix IX 84 

Appendix X 85 

Appendix XI 86 

Appendix XII 87 

Appendix XIII 89 

Appendix XIV 92 

Appendix XV 93 

Appendix XVI 94 

Appendix XVII 96 


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PHASE I 


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Introduction to Phase I 

The project is a collaboration between three students 

from Industrial Design Engineering, Chalmers 

University of Technology, and two students from 

Industrial Design, Oslo’s School of Architecture and 

Design. As this project took part in two countries, 

Kenya and Sweden, this project report is divided in 

two chapters, Phase I and Phase II, one for each stay. 

Additionally, the project work itself had very different 

character in the two countries. Phase I is a chapter 

describing the quite open start to our project where 

aims were defined and research was conducted. 

Introduction to 

Reality Studio 

During the spring of 2009, seventeen students 

took part in the course ‘Sustainable development 

in a southern context’ at Chalmers University of 

Technology. This course, also called ‘Reality Studio’, 

aims at giving the participants a new perspective on 

how to work with sustainable development and how 

this can be carried out in another context than our 

own familiar surroundings. 

The studio provides a basis for meetings of cultures 

and disciplines. Architects, civil engineers, industrial 

designers, and industrial design engineers, all are we 

good at our different disciplines and through Reality 

Studio we had the opportunity to learn from each 

other through cooperation. With the mindset to 

always be respectful, we also got to experience parts of 

the everyday life of the residents in the city we visited, 

Kisumu, Kenya. 


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Introduction to ‘New 

Sense in Nuisance’ 

The water hyacinth is a fast-growing aquatic plant 

originating from the Amazon. The beauty of its 

flowers has been the reason to why the plant has 

been introduced in other parts of the world. With 

the problems it has created by covering large areas of 

water surface, it has in many ways lost its glory and 

has instead become a nuisance. 

The water hyacinth was first reported on Lake Victoria 

in 1988 and has remained there ever since in varying 

amounts (The World Bank, 1996). The shoreline 

of Kisumu is among the places that are completely 

covered by water hyacinth large parts of the year, 

affecting not only the ecosystem of the lake, but also 

the inhabitants living around it. 

Aim of Project 

The project aims to investigate the possibilities of 

utilising the water hyacinth as a resource. This aim in 

turn constitutes of two separate objectives: 

1. To control the amount of water hyacinths on Lake 

Victoria 

2. To provide the local population with an opportunity 

for employment 

In achieving these aims, consideration will be taken 

to three sub goals. Firstly, the manufacturing process 

and final product will be made as environmentally 

friendly as possible. Secondly, the product should be 

developed for the local market. This however does not 

exclude a potential export market. The third sub goal 

is to make use of the entire plant. 

The project proposes to fulfil these intentions by 

exploring the possibilities of creating new products 

or materials from the water hyacinth, and thereafter 

implementing and sharing the results with the 

local population. Showing the potentials of the 

plant may lead people to produce and improve the 

product themselves. With the hyacinth economically 

benefiting the population, the widespread poverty 

in the area may be alleviated. The realisation of the 

project aims will also contribute to restoring the 

ecological balance in Lake Victoria by reducing the 

amount of water hyacinths. 


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BACKGROUND 

INFORMATION 


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Background Information 

For a thorough comprehension of the water hyacinth 

and its characteristics, applications and related 

problems, a literature study was performed. A more 

local understanding was obtained by interviewing a 

variety of persons within Kisumu. 

Natural Fibres 

The water hyacinth can be classified as a natural fibre, 

a group of material consisting of elongated substances 

that can be spun into filaments, thread or rope (FAO, 

2009). The materials within this class are categorised 

according to their origin and divided into three basic 

types: animal fibres, mineral fibres and vegetable 

fibres, the latter being built up of the cellulose from 

plants (GlobalSpec, 2009). 

The usage of natural fibres is widespread and is among 

others used in papermaking, the textile and automobile 

industry, and as a component of composite materials. 

According to Food and Agriculture Organization of 

the United Nations, the annual production of natural 

fibres was over the period 2003-2005 estimated to be 

31 million tonnes (Moir and Plastina, 2008). 

The natural fibre industry constitutes an important 

part of the economy of most developing countries, 

providing resource-poor farmers with income and 

food security and thereby with economic development 

opportunities. The market for the material is however 

challenged as it is in most of its applications subject 

to competition from manufactured substitutes (Moir 

and Plastina, 2008). 

The year of 2009 is by the UN proclaimed as the 

International Year of Natural Fibres, with the 

objective to: 

-Raise awareness and stimulate demand for natural fibres 

-Promote the efficie-ncy and sustainability of the 

natural fibres industries 

-Encourage appropriate policy responses from 

governments to the problems faced by natural fibre 

industries (FAO, 2009) 

Plant Biology 

The water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a floating 

plant living in fresh waters, forming dense rafts in 

water and mud. It originates from the Amazon and 

can grow up to one metre high, although 40 cm is a 

more usual height (Practical Action, 2006). The plant 

consists of 95% water and 5% solid matter of which 

the latter comprises of 50% silica, 30% potassium, 

15% nitrogen and 5% protein (MDG Centre Nairobi 

Environmental Team and MCI, 2009). 

The water hyacinth is capable of proliferating faster 

than any other known fresh water plant and it is 

able to germinate during up to 20 years (Bader et 

al, 2007). One plant can under ideal conditions 

produce 2.7 daughter plants in one week and could 

theoretically produce 28 000 tonnes of fresh weight 

in one year (Sainty, 1985). The optimal temperature 

for the plant is 28 to 30∞C and the rate with which 

the water hyacinth grows is also affected by, among 

other things, the supply of nutrients such as nitrogen 

and phosphor to the roots. The water hyacinth can be 

found in many places of the world, which indicates 

that this aquatic weed is prone to adaptation and can 

tolerate considerable environmental variation (Julien, 

2008). 

Evance Odhiambo with a fresh specimen of the 

water hyacinth 


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The Water Hyacinths 

on Lake Victoria 

Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh-water lake 

in the world and bordered by Kenya, Tanzania and 

Uganda. The water hyacinths has manifested the waters 

since 1988 and its growth is partly due to declining 

water quality of the lake from the increasing inflow 

of nutrients from rural areas as well as municipal and 

industrial discharges (The World Bank, 1996). 

The distribution and abundance of water hyacinths in 

the different bays of Lake Victoria are related to the 

wind activity (Jembe et al, 2008). The water hyacinths 

are only present in Kisumu with surroundings from 

December to June due to the tides and winds. From 

July to November, the water hyacinths can only be 

found south of Kisumu in Nyakatch, Homa Bay 

and Kendu Bay, this due to geographical barriers. 

In 2008, the surface area of the water hyacinth mats 

within Nyanza Gulf, an embayment of Lake Victoria 

including Kisumu Bay, was calculated. The area was 

estimated to be approximately 1 400 hectares (Jembe 

et al, 2008). 

The water hyacinths are not only a problem in itself 

but have also supported the growth of the hippo 

grass. This plant is not self-supportive and the water 

hyacinths have given this plant a basis to grow, 

allowing it to exist in other places than along the 

coastline (Akello, 2009). 

Map showing the seasonal movement of water 

hyacinth on Lake Victoria (Jembe et al, 2008) 


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The Impact of the 

Water Hyacinth on 

the Lake Victoria 

Region 

The water hyacinth with its rapid proliferation can 

cover large areas of the water surface, causing not 

only imbalance in the ecosystem but also having an 

economical and social impact on the inhabitants. 

Effects on the Inhabitants 

As the hyacinths grow uncontrolled, it creates thick 

mats that clog the waterways, making water activities 

such as boating and fishing nearly impossible. The 

small scale fishery is normally conducted with small, 

hand driven boats that find it difficult to reach their 

fishing grounds. Even larger freighters are sometimes 

affected as it can take up to an hour to get out of 

the port (Michael Denga, 2009). With large areas 

of water hyacinth mats covering the water, the lake 

also becomes unappealing, from a native’s as well as a 

tourist’s, point of view. 

Ecological Effects 

The water hyacinth has positive as well as negative 

effects on the ecosystem of the lake. One of its 

advantages is the ability to absorb nutrients and 

pollutants, thereby cleaning the water. The roots 

provide a good environment for aerobic bacteria, 

which feed on the nutrients and produce food for 

the plant (Gopal and Brij, 1987 in Practical Action, 

2006). 

The mat of water hyacinth decrease the sunlight 

inflow and during its decomposition, also reduces the 

level of dissolved oxygen. Furthermore they increase 

the water evaporation through evapotranspiration by 

as much as 1.8 times that of the same surface free of 

hyacinths (Herfjord et al in Practical Action, 2006). 

This has great impact where the water is already 

scarce and it is estimated that the flow of water in 

the Nile could be reduced by up to one tenth due 

to the existence of water hyacinths in Lake Victoria 

(Practical Action, 2006). 

The biodiversity is affected as the hyacinth competes 

with other aquatic species for light, nutrients and 

oxygen. As a result of the lower level of dissolved 

oxygen, fish species that require less oxygen become 

dominant as others find it harder to survive. The 

still standing water provides breeding grounds for 

malaria carrying mosquitoes. Additionally, snakes and 

crocodiles occur more frequently in areas where the 

hyacinth is dominant (Ezeilo et al, 2007). 

Sketch showing the negative ecological effects caused by 

the water hyacinth 


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Controlling the 

Spread of Water 

Hyacinths 

There are three main ways of controlling the growth 

of water hyacinths; by chemicals, by biological 

mechanisms and by mechanical removal. The 

chemical herbicides most commonly used are 2,4-d, 

Diquat and Glysophate. They have proven effective 

on smaller scale but less successful on large areas. In 

addition, the long-term effects on vegetation, animals 

and humans are not known and the herbicides 

should be used with caution in places where people 

fetch water for drinking and washing. The biological 

methods used contain a variety of weevils, moth and 

fungi. It is said to be environmentally benign as the 

controlling agents often are self-regulating and plantspecific. 

One drawback is the time it takes for the 

controlling agent to form a population large enough 

to handle the spread of the hyacinth, several years 

might be needed. Never the less, introducing new 

species into an ecosystem has many times proven fatal 

and one can argue that such methods should be used 

with caution. The third method, mechanical removal, 

is by many viewed as the best short-term solution. It 

is somewhat expensive as machinery, often specially 

designed, is needed to get the plants out of the water 


Biological control by introducing weevils 


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Controlling the 

Hyacinths on Lake 

Victoria 

The water hyacinths on Lake Victoria are a regional 

problem affecting the coastlines of Kenya, Tanzania 

and Uganda. It reached its peak on Lake Victoria 

in 1998, covering a water surface area of 17 231 

hectares. By year 2000, the amount had decreased 

to approximately 500 acres but a few years later, the 

water hyacinth experienced a resurgence (Petersen, 

2007). The lake-wide decrease has mainly been a result 

of biological control, but the weather phenomenon, 

El Niño, of 1997 and 1998 most likely played an 

important part in accelerating the decline of hyacinth 

growth (Williams et al, 2005). 

In controlling the water hyacinths, mechanical as 

well as chemical methods were designated for a rapid 

short-term control of the plant in restricted areas. For 

a long-term control, a biological control programme 

was established in which two weevil species, 

neochetina bruchi hystache and neochetina eichoniae 

warner, were introduced to the lake (The World Bank, 

1996). These interventions have been implemented 

by the Lake Victoria Environmental Management 

Project, a programme aimed at rehabilitating the lake’s 

ecosystem for the benefit of the people in the area as 

well as the national economies of which they are part. 

The programme is funded by The World Bank and the 

Governments of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania (The 

World Bank, 2001). The first phase of the LVEMP 

was implemented during 1997-2005 (The World 

Bank, 2006) and it is intended to be followed up with 

a second phase in the near future. 

The damage that the weevils cause the water hyacinths 

eventually lead to that they sink to the bottom of the 

lake (Wilson, 2005). As mentioned, the rotting plant 

material reduces the oxygen content of the lake water, 

and as the effect of the weevils result in the decay of 

enormous amounts of water hyacinths, the ecological 

balance of the lake is affected. Moreover, the plant’s 

ability to absorb nutrients and pollutants would not 

be taken advantage of as they would be re-released into 

the lake. Thus, an alternative way of controlling the 

water hyacinth is necessary in which the entire plant 

should be removed. This method entails an additional 

benefit by weakening the reproduction ability of the 

hyacinth as removing it, especially before flowering, 

would ensure that the plant does not seed the water 

(Jembe et al, 2008). 

The overall cost of the water hyacinth control was 

approximately USD 8.31 million, which constituted 

11% of the total LVEMP cost. Within Kenya, the 

costs were approximately USD 2 792, which was 

10% of the Kenyan project cost. The removal has been 

necessary in enabling among other things commercial 

waterborne transport and the avoided costs have been 

estimated to be approximately USD 25-40 million in 

the period 2000-2005 for the whole lake. For Kenya, 

the cost was estimated to be USD 8-13 million (World 

Bank, 2006). 

Floating water hyacinths on Lake Victoria 


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Applications of 

Water Hyacinths 

As the spread of the water hyacinth is a worldwide 

problem, many have tried to utilise the plant in 

different applications. How successful different 

projects have been is varying, but most noticeable are 

products made out of the petioles, such as furniture 

and bags from Thailand. The applications can be 

divided into three categories based on their type: 

products, energy and water purification. 

Products 

The fibres in the mature petioles are suitable for 

making ropes and braided structures, which in turn 

can be made into different products like baskets, 

furniture, home decoration, and bags. The fibres also 

make it possible to manufacture fibreboards from the 

plant. In one method the stalks are boiled, washed 

and then beaten to a pulp, which is mixed with waste 

paper pulp and china clay (or similar). The boards are 

then finished in a press and ultimately dried, for use 

as indoor partition walls and ceiling boards (Practical 

Action, 2006)). A third product type is paper. There 

has been research on whether or not the plant could be 

used in the paper industry. The opinions are shifting 

but it could probably be used for low quality paper 

(Theliander, 2009). The water hyacinth is however 

used in low scale papermaking in different countries, 

among them Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, and 

Indonesia. 

Energy 

The water hyacinth can be rich in energy in form of 

nitrogen and is therefore well suited for use in energy 

and even for making animal food (Gunnarsson, 2005). 

Possible ways to utilise this energy is by turning the 

plant into charcoal briquettes, biogas, ethanol for 

fuel, or fertiliser. 

Water Purification 

The water hyacinth is being used for purification of 

water, as part of a pre-treating system. This is due 

to the ability of the plant to reduce the amount of 

nutrients, organic matter, heavy metals and pathogens 

in the water (Practical Action, 2006). 

top: Lampshed made of water hyacinth rope 

bottom: Water hyacinth might be used as animal fodder 


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Applications of 

Water Hyacinths in 

Kisumu 

In Kisumu there are a handful of entrepreneurs 

making paper or products from rope. Most of them 

are in some way linked to Kisumu Innovation 

Centre, Kenya (KICK). One of these persons is 

Evance Odhiambo, who in year 2000 initiated the 

organisation Zingira and has been working with the 

water hyacinths ever since. Initially, the plant was used 

for small scale production of paper but with some 

inspiration from the Internet, the production has now 

expanded into furniture made from water hyacinth 

rope. This furniture has a metal frame as support and 

the ropes are treated with varnish in order to prevent 

the fibres from rotting as they otherwise easily absorb 

water. The harvesting of water hyacinth is mainly 

done in Nyakach as the plant stays there permanently, 

and the harvesters are also the ones twining the ropes. 

The hyacinth thrives in Navasha and Nairobi Dam 

as well and Zingira has a few people in Kibera, an 

informal settlement in Nairobi, who are trained in 

papermaking. 

In the process of making paper, the petiole is used to 

produce pulp, which then is mixed with waste paper 

in order to gain sufficient quality. The roots and the 

leaves are used for creating decorative natural patterns 

in the paper. The paper, rope and furniture are made 

by local craftsmen and Zingira pays them per piece as 

this gives them motivation to work efficiently. 

Evance Odhiambo has furthermore experimented 

with production of briquettes intended for cooking. 

These were made of crushed plants and some clay 

compressed by a hand driven mechanism made from 

pipes. The briquettes burned with a blue flame and 

did not give rise to any soot. In addition, they burned 

longer than the commonly used charcoal. However, 

the price of the briquettes became too high for the 

market due to the labour cost, 70 Kenyan shilling, 

KES for 2 kg compared to 20 KES for 2 kg charcoal. 

Evance Odhiambo has not done any direct testing on 

the mechanical properties of the ropes, but he knows 

that the quality is lower compared to papyrus and 

sisal. According to him, a doormat made from water 

hyacinth lasts for approximately two years (Evance, 

2009). 

Evance Odhiambo and his pulp machine 


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The Rope-Making 

Business 

The small-scale rope-making business at Nyakach 

was established in year 2002 and they are the main 

suppliers of rope to Zingira. The business involves 

50 people between 18-60 years of age and nine of 

them are men. Making ropes is not their sole source 

of income; some are fishmongers while others farm 

vegetables. However, it is easy for them to learn this 

craft since the twining has roots in the old weaving 

culture. The amount of time that they work depends 

on the season and number of orders. During the rainy 

season, the quality of the petioles deteriorates and it 

is not recommended to harvest, as the bad ones can 

contaminate the good ones. Due to the long duration 

of the rainy season, from October to April, dried 

petioles are stored in the harvester’s houses in order 

for them to still be able to produce ropes. The people 

work in smaller groups due to the different schedules 

of each individual and they are paid according to 

the amount of rope they produce to ensure a just 

payment. One meter of rope is sold for 3 KES, which 

corresponds to a salary somewhere around 5 to 11 

KES by the hour depending on how fast one works. 

See Appendix I for calculations on the salary. 

The Process – from Petiole to Rope 

The petioles of mature water hyacinths are the only 

part of the plant that is used for making ropes and they 

can either be gathered directly by the shore or from 

a boat, depending on the accessibility of the mature 

plants. The petioles are manually removed with the 

aid of a knife and the remaining parts of the plant 

are left to rot. After the petioles have been brought 

back to the households, they are sorted and then split 

lengthwise with a knife into either four or six pieces 

depending on the thickness of the rope. The split 

petioles are carried a distance ten minutes away by foot 

and spread out over the ground to dry. When dry, the 

petioles are soaked in lake-water mixed with sodium 

metabisulphide as a preservative for fungal decay. This 

chemical was chosen because of its efficiency and low 

cost, and it is a rather common food additive referred 

to as E223. The petioles are dried once again and can 

thereafter be used for rope-making, where they are 

either twisted or braided into the desired thickness. 

The average length of the petiole is 30 centimetres and 

therefore new petioles must constantly be added and 

joined when making the ropes. To facilitate the ropemaking 

process, the petioles are wetted with water to 

make them more flexible and thereby become more 

workable. The continuous adding of new petioles 

requires that the rope is trimmed with a scissors once 

it has been made. 

There were some problems connected to the rope 

making, e.g. accidents with knife and that the process 

is very time-consuming. See Appendix I for a time 

schedule for the process and Appendix II for a complete 

list of identified problems with rope-making. 

top: Woman in Nyakach twisting dried petioles 

bottom: Rope made of water hyacinth 


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Identified Problems 

with Harvesting 

As previously mentioned, several problems were 

identified with the process of making ropes. Most of 

them were however connected to the harvesting and 

the majority of these issues would remain even if the 

plant were to be used for something else. These were 

the detected problems: 

1. Lack of mature water hyacinths 

The workers had to walk a distance of four kilometres 

and sometimes even had to hire a boat in order to 

obtain plants with petioles of satisfying quality. 

2. Water-bound diseases 

This problem was not as common now as before, 

mostly likely due to an acquired immunity after 

continuous exposure to the water. 

3. Encounters with snakes and hippopotamuses 

Sudden encounters may lead to dangerous situations. 

4. Accidents with knife 

Many had cut themselves with the knife when 

removing the petioles from the plants. 

5. Back-ache 

The workers must sometimes bend while standing in 

the water in order to harvest the petioles. 

6. Ankle sprains 

The footpaths of the hippopotamuses by the lake 

shore are deep and often not visible, leading to 

unpredictable pitfalls. 

7. Transportation of petioles 

The petioles are carried by the workers in sacks placed 

on their heads and are rather heavy due to the high 

water content of the plant. 

8. Plant remains are left 

Once the petiole has been obtained, the remaining 

plant parts are left and either rots, eventually reaching 

the sea bottom where methane gas is produced, or 

continues to grow. 

Women in Nyakach harvesting water hyacinth 


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PROCESS 


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Process 

As the goal was to develop a product made out of water 

hyacinth, we used our time in Kisumu to experiment 

with the material, trying to find its possibilities and 

its limitations and with simple means create a range 

of different products and materials. 

After conducting a few material tests, we started to 

list the characteristics of the plant. This mapping 

turned out to be a good way of getting an overview 

of the potential use of the water hyacinth and we 

brainstormed around the characteristics several 

times in order to get ideas for what prototypes to 

create. These were the characteristics we found most 

interesting for further exploration: soft, isolative, 

biodegradable, renewable resource, nice smell, sound 

absorptive, aesthetic values, fibrous, spongy, light, 

and with high energy content. See Appendix IV for 

an overview of the ideas we generated. 

Rope-Strength Testing 

A first step was to test the already existing ropes 

for their strength. We cut pieces, approximately 70 

cm long, from ropes off three different thicknesses, 

grade B, C, and D. Then we tied an empty plastic 

bucket to it, held it up from the ground and started to 

pour water in to the bucket. The weight of the water 

when the rope broke was then recorded. From the 

harvesters in Nyakach, we knew that moist petioles 

are more durable and flexible than dry ones. We 

therefore conducted the test with wet ropes as well 

as ropes soaked in coconut oil. If the rope was wet, 

it could take approximately three times the weight 

compared to when it was dry. The oil however added 

approximately two kilos to the critical weight for the 

dry rope. See Appendix V for a chart over the test 

results. 

Absorption Test 

In our search for different applications of the water 

hyacinth, we also tested its absorption abilities. 

These crude tests were mainly executed to see how 

the plant material’s absorption properties were. Dried 

petioles with differences in length, amount, and with 

or without peel were compared to a regular tampon. 

All tests were soaked in approximately two millilitres 

contrast liquid of orange lemonade, and were timed. 

In regards to the non-scientifically degree of the 

experiment, we did not want to draw any conclusions. 

However, we observed that there was good potential. 

Colouring the Petioles 

Two attempts to colour the dried water hyacinth 

petioles were made in order to gain experience on 

how the plant receives colourings. In the first attempt, 

a pink pigment powder was mixed with wood glue, 

some water, and whole dried petioles cut into smaller 

pieces. The mix was then pressed into a square and 

left to dry. The pigment became unevenly distributed 

and looked like a painted layer on the hyacinth pieces. 

top: Testing rope strength 

bottom: Testing absorption properties 


page 19 of 97

The second experiment was performed with food 

colouring. Split hyacinth petioles were left to soak in 

the colouring for a while and were thereafter dried 

in the sun. The food colouring was mainly absorbed 

by the inner part of the petioles, which resulted in a 

nice aesthetic effect. When the coloured petioles were 

mixed with wood glue in order to make a solid piece 

like the previous one, the food colouring dissolved 

partly due to the water content and the mentioned 

effect was dampened. 

Paper 

We wanted to test whether it was possible to use the 

whole plant for making a paper pulp and therefore 

bought a cheap blender. The fresh plants were then 

crushed along with some wood-glue as a binder. 

Out of the pulp, we made a pot for garden plants by 

applying it on the bottom of a plastic container and 

then letting it dry for a few hours. The idea with this 

was to replace the plastic bags, which vendors used as 

pots to sell their plants, with a pot that wasn’t only 

biodegradable, but would also nourish the soil. 

We also made paper sheets out of the pulp by patting 

it in thin layers on even surfaces, metal plates and 

rubber mats, and left them to dry in the sun. The 

paper from the first test was quite fragile and bulgy and 

we therefore went on experimenting with hyacinth 

mixed with toilet and waste paper. These tests worked 

out better and came out with a nice colour and 

finish. We however felt that waste- and toilet paper 

as a supplement were a substitute for our lacking 

knowledge and tools. The test mixed with waste paper 

was folded into a shopping bag prototype (ratio: 15% 

waste paper and 85% water hyacinth). For handles we 

used ropes made out of water hyacinth. Just as with 

the pot, we think this is a good replacement for plastic, 

though paper may be used for so much more than 

just in bags. The other test, mixed with toilet paper, 

was used as wrapping paper (ratio: 20% pink toilet 

paper and 80% water hyacinth). This example also 

addresses another problem, though situated mostly 

in the western world; landfills covered in wrapping 

paper every Christmas. 

top: Wrapping paper 

bottom l.: Flower pot, bottom r.: Shopping bag 


page 20 of 97

We also tried to use less waste paper in the mixture 

by mixing wood glue, 5% of waste paper, and 95% 

water hyacinth in a final test. This time we made a 

packaging prototype for eggs, using a plastic egg 

board as a negative mould and dried it for some hours 

in the shade. By using water hyacinth in the pulp for 

making paper and cardboard, you would replace the 

need for timber, which is scarce in this area. 

Fibreboards 

We experimented with creating a low density 

fibreboard out of dried petioles. After having made 

initial tests, we manufactured a large wooden frame 

at Kibuye market, measuring 150 x 90 cm. In this 

frame we made boards of the petioles, mixing them 

with wood glue and drying them under pressure by 

applying jerikans filled with water on the metal mesh, 

fixed to the inner frame. We also tried different ways 

of organising the petioles in the boards; randomly, 

layered as plywood, and with different sizes where 

smaller bits filling out the gaps sometimes left between 

the petioles. In total, five fibreboards were made of 

which one was cut up and used as cushions, and four 

were used to put up the posters of the class projects at 

the exhibition at Kenyatta Sport Grounds. 

Egg carton 


page 21 of 97

With a different and more professional manufacturing 

of these boards, such as being able to apply more 

pressure and having no binder, they could be used as 

building material, replacing the need for timber in 

similar boards. With the way that we manufactured 

them, at a low density, they could function as e.g. 

partition walls or ceiling boards as the material has 

good isolative and sound absorption abilities. 

below: Colouring fibre boards 

right: Applying weight when making fibre boards 


page 22 of 97

Stool 

Using the same technique and materials as when 

making a fibreboard, but with a cylindrical plastic 

container as mould, we made a stool after the 

traditional lou model with three legs. The sponginess 

of the petioles gave it a nice cushioning effect, but 

with our crude technique we could not make the stool 

strong enough. We therefore added a metal skeleton 

to make it more rigid for the up-coming exhibitions. 

Transport Protection 

The sponginess in the petioles can be used as transport 

protection when e.g. transporting fragile goods like 

glass bottles. Two prototypes, one for wine bottles and 

one for the local beer Tusker, were made by gluing 

together split petioles in a cross-pattern. With an easy 

manufacturing method, this would be well suited for 

replacing similar plastic padding, like polystyrene 

peanuts, bottle wrappers etc. Another idea that we 

had was to simply use the dried unprocessed petioles 

for protecting a product during transport. 

Diaper 

We went further with the hyacinth’s ability to absorb 

and contain liquid and made a prototype of a diaper 

out of hyacinth paper and peeled petioles. The 

prototype was more of a manifestation of the idea and 

also addressed the waste issue with plastic diapers. 

top l.: Stool, top r.: Transport protection- bottle sleeve 

bottom l.: Transport protection- substitute for 

polystherene peanuts, 

bottom r.: An early prototype for a diaper 


page 23 of 97

Woven Mats 

To explore how dried water hyacinth could be mixed 

with textiles, a small mat was made out of dried 

spilt petioles, stripes of wine red cloth, lilac recycled 

fishnet, and white cotton thread. The thread was 

taped on the backrest of a chair to resemble a simple 

loom. Thereafter the petioles, the cloth and the 

fishnet were woven by hand in an irregular fashion. 

The mat turned out pretty neat and soft. To try out a 

different colour combination a second mat was made 

with the same method. This time dried split petioles, 

whole dried petioles and recycled fish nets of different 

colours were used. Mats like these could be used as 

wall decoration if made bigger, possibly functioning 

as an insulator and a sound absorber at the same time. 

If the mats are made on efficient looms, they could 

serve as tablemats, doormats or similar as the structure 

gets more resilient when the warp is tight. 

Thread 

As twining dried petioles into rope is time consuming 

and therefore expensive compared to its quality, 

we looked at different ways of using the fibres. We 

extracted thin fibres from the petioles, just beneath 

the green peel, by pulling them out by hand. These 

were brought to Pendeza Weaving where they helped 

us to spin the fibres into a thread on a spinning wheel. 

If an easy way of extracting these fibres is to be found, 

this thread can be manufactured in a larger scale and 

be used in the production of textiles. 

The Splitter 

When we visited the craftsmen in Nyakach, we got the 

idea of developing a splitting device as the process of 

splitting the petioles twice or thrice seemed inefficient. 

The concept was generated almost instantly and a 

few mock-ups were built in paper in order to decide 

the dimensions and the directions of the blades. A 

prototype made of a metal pipe and four knives was 

created by local metalworkers. 

from left: Woven mats of hyacinth, cloth and old fishnet. 

String spun out of fibres from the hyacinth. The splitter. 


page 24 of 97

Interacting with 

People in Kenya 

To obtain feedback and inspiration from people in 

Kisumu, we talked to everyone that was interested in 

our project. This was also a way of gaining information 

or suggestions on people who might be interesting to 

talk to. Furthermore, we arranged a workshop and 

participated in the two exhibitions of which all the 

course members were a part of. 

Workshop 

In an attempt to coordinate local water hyacinth 

craftsmen and to generate creative ideas on new 

products made from water hyacinth, a workshop was 

arranged. Only one member of the group had held 

a workshop before and we were slightly uncertain of 

how to organize it. Nevertheless, we had some help 

with arranging food as well as premises and we set up 

a schedule containing two brainstorming sessions and 

one session with practical work. See Appendix VI for 

the schedule. 

The workshop took approximately four hours and 

during lunchtime, tea and sandwiches were served. 

As it turned out, the brainstorming sessions took 

longer time than expected. The group brainstormed 

around several plant characteristics, but unfortunately 

almost no characteristics came up that were new to 

us. See Appendix VI for characteristics and potential 

product applications that were generated during the 

brainstorming sessions. 

During the practical work session not much worth 

documenting was created. Most participants seemed 

unsecure of what to do and several of them ended 

up doing something fairly familiar to them. However 

one man tried to twine water hyacinth together with 

recycled fishnet, one applied a traditional but slightly 

unusual way of braiding the dried petioles and two 

people invented new ways of braiding. One could 

notice a small unwillingness of sharing ideas but apart 

from that, there were some factors that probably 

had a negative effect on the workshop. The room 

the workshop was held in was quite small and the 

furniture was not really adapted to crafting. 

Workshop at Hyacinth Craft 


page 25 of 97

elow: The pavilion at Kenyatta Sport Grounds 

right: Our stand at Kenyatta Sport Grounds 

The Exhibition at Kenyatta Sport 

Grounds, Kisumu 

By the end of our stay in Kisumu, we prepared our 

part of the course exhibition at Kenyatta Sports 

Grounds. We exhibited all of our physical models, but 

also a lot of different ideas, drawn on pieces of paper, 

connected to the plants attributes. Our goal with this 

was to create awareness among the people living in 

Kisumu about how the water hyacinth may be utilised 

as a resource. Our stand received a lot of attention 

and most people were very interested and also quite 

amazed by the fact that this plant could be used, and 

that all of the products presented were manufactured 

with very limited means at our guesthouse. 

The Exhibition at UN-habitat, 

Nairobi 

Compared to the intense day on Kenyatta Sport 

Grounds, the exhibition in Nairobi was almost like a 

day off. Our presentation was more or less the same 

as the one in Kisumu, except we didn’t have the same 

do-it-yourself approach, as the crowd at UN is a quite 

different target group. For some of the people passing 

by, we managed to create awareness on the problem 

at the lake, as well as the utilization of the plant, but 

generally this place was much more about quality 

than quantity. In other words, the few contacts we 

got were relevant and good. 


page 26 of 97

Discussion on Phase I 

A question that we have given much thought to is 

the reasons to why so few products made from the 

water hyacinths have taken off. One explanation is 

that there usually already exists another material with 

better properties or price. One of few somewhat 

successful products in Kenya is furniture made from 

water hyacinth ropes. These are often expensive and 

are therefore inaccessible to large parts of the Kenyan 

population. Initially, we had several ideas on products 

that could be made from the water hyacinth ropes. 

Our tests however showed weaknesses of the material 

and we also felt that much experimenting already 

had been done with products made from the rope. 

Additionally, the rope-making process is rather timeconsuming, 

and thus we chose to put our effort into 

developing other materials. 

Few, if any, products of water hyacinths are today 

produced for the people in Kenya with small means. 

We therefore focused our work on a locally produced 

product for the local population. We achieved this 

by creating all our products with fairly simple means 

on the roof terrace of our guesthouse. With this 

approach, we had the chance to experiment while at 

the same time knowing that these products would be 

easy to manufacture. We do not in any way want to 

undervalue Kenya’s capability to produce products 

with more advanced methods, but we were determined 

to design a production that was uncomplicated 

and most importantly, would not require any large 

investments for the start-up. 

At the exhibition at Kenyatta Sport Grounds, we 

hoped to get feedback from the locals on which of our 

many products they would prefer to see us continue 

working with when we returned to Sweden. The 

response we received from the locals was very positive 

and this reaction also turned out to be somewhat of 

a problem; peoples amazement combined with too 

little need for imaginary thinking due to the degree of 

finished products, seemed to keep them from having 

an opinion of themselves. We thus felt that there was 

a general lack of critique, which could have been 

helpful in guiding us in our later work. Instead, most 

of the visitors were more interested in hearing about 

how we processed the plant and made the materials 

and products. This, once again, was not negatively 

perceived, as it was a way of sharing the knowledge 

we had gathered. Nevertheless, people working with 

harvesting were inspired by our splitting-device even 

if some thought we should have worked more with the 

dangers of harvesting. Many people were impressed by 

our paper-based products and also by the fibreboards, 

which were perceived as having a great potential both 

for heat insulation, noise reduction and as an outdoor 

resting mat. A few people commented on the risk of 

insects living in the fibreboards and in the stool. One 

person also mentioned a risk of forgetting the stool 

outside the house, which would thus ruin it, if it was 

not water resistant. 

The gathered information and the concepts that we 

generated during the first phase of the project must be 

spread and reach the local population. The exhibition 

at Kenyatta Sport Grounds was a good way of doing 

this but we need to somehow make this information 

more easily accessible during a longer period of time. 

A website could possibly provide a good forum for 

this intention. 


page 27 of 97

Prerequisites for Phase II 

Our material explorations provided us with an 

understanding for the different characteristics and 

how the plant could be put into different applications. 

In assessing the viability of a commercial production 

of objects made out of water hyacinth, the advantages 

and disadvantages that may arise in conjunction with 

this were summarised. 

Arguments for Utilising the Water 

Hyacinth as a Resource 

The water hyacinth has been a source of many 

problems in Lake Victoria and a lot of money has 

been invested in trying to eliminate the plant from 

the water surface. If, on the other hand, the water 

hyacinth would be utilised as a resource, money 

could instead be generated. By taking advantage 

of the attributes of the plant, economical as well as 

ecological benefits would be able to be achieved. This 

conclusion is based on the following aspects that are 

attributed to the plant: 

1. Abundancy 

The water hyacinth is available in abundance. In 

2008, the total surface area of water hyacinths in 

Nyanca Gulf was estimated to 1400 hectare (Jembe 

et al, 2008). 

2. High reproduction rate 

The water hyacinths can double its biomass in 6 

days (Linsey and Hirt, 1999 in Jembe et al, 2008). 

Under ideal conditions, one plant can produce 2.7 

daughter plants per week and could theoretically in 

a year produce 28 000 tonnes of fresh weigh (Sainty, 

1985). 

3. Free source of material 

The water hyacinth is free for anyone to make use of. 

4. Does not require land space 

A resource that does not take up land space is 

advantageous in regards to an increasing demand for 

land due to population growth. 

5. Ideal conditions 

Lake Victoria provides ideal conditions for hyacinth 

growth (LVBC unpublished report, 2008 in Jembe et 

al, 2008). 

6. Cleans the water 

The water hyacinth has the ability to absorb nutrients 

and pollutants from the water. This quality is however 

only taken advantage of if the entire plant is removed 

from the lake. 

Potential Problems in Utilising the 

Water Hyacinth as a Resource 

A product or an industry based on using the water 

hyacinth as a resource, must take the following factors 

into consideration: 

1. The high water content of the water hyacinth 

The plants require large areas for drying. In addition, 

drying them in the sun during the rainy season may 

be difficult. Another issue is the transportation of 

fresh plants, which will result in high transportation 

costs. 

2. Varying access 

The seasonal movement of the hyacinth may lead to 

varying access during the year. Lack of work during 

several months may cause people to act in less beneficial 

ways e.g. start using similar plants. A similar situation 

may arise if the water hyacinth would become fully 

extinct in the lake. 

3. Manual harvesting 

The workers are exposed to different problems 

during the harvest. See ‘Identified Problems with 

Harvesting’. 

4. Poor water resistance 

Products from the dried petioles are not water 

resistant, which limits its area of usage to for example 

indoor use. 


page 28 of 97

Direction of Project in Phase II 

In deciding upon the continuation of our project, 

the potential of our products and their processes were 

evaluated. In addition, feasibility reports of possible 

local applications within Kisumu were assessed. 

These reports were prepared for the Kenya Industrial 

Research and Development Institute by Francis 

Opar and were shared with us by WIFIP, Women in 

Fishing Industry Program, an organisation with the 

interest of working with the water hyacinths. The 

reports investigate the objectives, benefits, challenges, 

cost estimates and implementation plans for the 

production of handmade paper, fibreboards, biogas, 

fertiliser, and animal fodder. 

The reports provided us with a good basis of 

information and how a future business could be 

implemented. The general scope was however 

sometimes too narrow or fixed. The paper report was 

for example based on handmade paper for export 

products such as picture frames and greetings cards, 

and the production of fibreboards seemed too largescale 

in production, hence having too high investment 

demands. In addition, the cost estimates and general 

feasibility can be questioned as they were found to 

be too optimistic and simplified as well as lacking 

sources. The questions that still remained after having 

read the reports were what a realistic profit would be 

and whom the potential investors would be. 

During the end of our stay in Kenya, we had a meeting 

with Megan White, founder of ZanaA, a non-profit 

NGO providing and distributing sanitary pads to a 

low cost to girls in Kenya. The “MAKA pads” that 

they distribute come from Uganda and its absorbent 

is made from the papyrus plant while the rest is made 

out of plastic. Despite the small-scale production, they 

were still able to provide pads at a lower price than 

the competitors. The affordability of sanitary pads 

is a vital issue as many schoolgirls in Kenya cannot 

afford them and must therefore stay at home from 

school 4 days each month during their menstruation. 

This meeting, as well as additional research, made 

us understand that there was a need for a low-cost 

sanitary protection. With an apparent target group 

and clear understanding of the outcome of such a 

product, we decided upon developing a sanitary pad 

as a continuation for our project. 


page 29 of 97

PHASE II 


page 30 of 97

Introduction to Phase II 

The chapter of Phase II describes our product 

development process upon our return to Sweden. In 

this phase, the way with which we have utilised the 

water hyacinth as a resource has become more specific. 

Motivation of 

Product Choice 

“870,000 girls in Kenya are missing four days of 

school every month due to a lack of sanitary pads 

and underwear” (ZanaA, 2009). In achieving the 

goals towards a sustainable future, a poor menstrual 

management directly counteracts several of the 

Millennium Development Goals established by the 

United Nations. Not only does a decreased attendance 

at school work against the aim of achieving a universal 

primary education, it also affects the gender equality, 

as women are not provided with equal opportunities 

as men. There is thus an urgent need of low-cost 

sanitary protection; being able to protect oneself 

during menstruation is a basic need among women 

and should not exclude those in poverty. 

The water hyacinth has a good absorption capability 

and therefore there is a great potential in developing 

an absorption material from the plant suitable for a 

sanitary pad. One of the initial project goals was to 

develop a product that is aimed for and benefits the 

people in the Lake Victoria Region. A product like 

this, which takes advantage of the high reproduction 

rate of the water hyacinth, would facilitate the lives 

of many women and have a tremendous ecological, 

economical and hygienic impact. 

Additional Project Aims 

The initial aims and sub goals were still valid in the 

second phase of the project. However, as the project 

had taken a new direction, to develop a sanitary pad 

out of water hyacinth, additional goals were set up to 

complement those of the first phase. 

1. To design an affordable pad, foremost for young girls 

2. To make a locally produced pad for a local market 

3. To have a simple production process with easily 

maintainable machinery 

4. To construct a biodegradable pad 

The project aim had now developed from solving the 

problem with the existence of the water hyacinth on 

Lake Victoria to also solving the issue with poor girls 

having to stay at home from school due to a lack of 

menstrual protection. 


page 31 of 97

BACKGROUND 

INFORMATION II 


page 32 of 97

Background Information II 

In order to obtain information on existing sanitary 

protection and their construction, literature readings 

and product examinations were performed. The 

current situation for menstruating women in 

developing countries was also reviewed, this through 

literature studies and interviews. 

Existing Female 

Hygiene Products 

Different types of absorbent materials for menstrual 

protection have most likely been used for thousands 

of years. Animal pelts, mosses, sea sponges, seaweed, 

cotton, wool, rags and vegetable fibres are among 

the many materials that have been used (Natural 

Menstrual Products, 2009). The market for menstrual 

protection products offers various solutions, ranging 

from disposable to reusable products. 

Sanitary Pads 

Sanitary pads are worn outside the body and come 

in many different lengths and thicknesses. The design 

has varied through the years and before the disposable 

sanitary pad, cloth or reusable pads were used. When 

the modern and commercial disposable pads were 

introduced in the late 19th century, they were held 

in place by belts, suspenders or special underpants. 

The belt-and-pad solution disappeared when adhesive 

strips and smaller pads where introduced in the 1970s 

(Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health, 

2009). 

Tampons 

Tampons are inserted into the body to absorb the 

menstruation blood. Although the industrially 

produced tampons were introduced in the 1930s, the 

principle of an internal hygiene product is dated back 

to the Ancient Egyptians, where the women formed 

smooth pieces of papyrus into rolls. Tampons have 

different rates of absorbance and can either be inserted 

with a finger or an applicator (The Tampons Working 

Group of Edana, 2006). 

Menstrual Sponges 

Menstrual sponges are inserted into the body and are a 

natural alternative to tampons. Apart from absorbing 

blood, the sponges have also been used for medication 

and killing sperms (Museum of Menstruation and 

Women’s Health, 2007). The sponges are made of 

natural sea sponges that are found on the ocean floors. 

They contain no synthetic materials and are reusable 

(Centre for Young Women’s Health, 2009). 

Menstrual Cups 

Menstrual cups are small cups of either rubber 

or silicone that are internally placed to collect 

menstruation blood within the body. The cups are 

reusable and can last for several years (Centre for Young 

Women’s Health, 2009). The commercial menstrual 

cup has been available since the 1930s (Museum of 

Menstruation and Women’s Health, 2008) 

Sanitary Protection 

in Developing 

Countries 

The lack of sanitary products has many implications on 

women in developing countries. Rather than risk the 

embarrassment of menstruating through their clothes, 

many girls stay home from school during their periods 

each month. This can lead to them falling behind in 

their studies and possibly dropping out of school 

altogether (Obae, 2008). Families may suffer from 

increased poverty as women are unable to work during 

their menstruation (ASA, 2009). Another issue is the 

increased risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted 

infections as women may resort to sex work to acquire 

money to buy sanitary pads (Biriwasha, 2008). 


page 33 of 97

Despite that sanitation and waste management have 

become an increasingly important issue during the 

past decade, not much has been done on menstrual 

hygiene or management (Bharadwaj & Patkas, 2004). 

A woman menstruates in average 2400 days of her 

life, a total of more than six years (Gronnhverdag, 

2008) and with an average blood loss of 35 ml (Healy, 

2006) during a period of 5 days, a total of 16.8 litres 

of menstruation blood needs to be taken care of. 

For many women, there are several practical issues 

involved with handling their menstruation that poses 

as a problem to them. Apart from not being able to 

afford safe menstrual protection and the hygienic risks 

that women expose themselves to through improvised 

solutions, there is also the issue of poor sanitation 

facilities and the disposal of menstruation products. 

In addition, many women also have cultural issues to 

deal with. 

Affordability 

The price of sanitary protection is often too high for 

women in developing countries. Kisumu experiences 

one of the highest incidences of food poverty in 

Kenya with 53.4% of the population below the food 

poverty line. Some women thereby have to choose 

between buying bread or sanitary pads. In Kenya, a 

packet containing eight sanitary pads costs 100 KES 

(about US $1.50), which the majority of women in 

a country, where approximately 54 percent of the 

people live on less than a dollar a day, cannot afford 

(Demokrasia-kenya.blogspot.com, 2005). 

Schoolgirls in Kenya 


page 34 of 97

According to White (2009), the price to strive for 

is 4 KES and the production cost should therefore 

not exceed 2 KES. Women seldom buy pads in large 

numbers as it is too expensive for them since many 

have a daily based income. It is therefore important 

that the women have the possibility of buying only 

one or two pads at a time. 

The reasons behind the high prices of sanitary 

protection are that they often are imported from 

countries with a higher economic standard or that 

high taxes are being levied on these products. This 

discourages or renders it impossible to use sanitary 

protection for many women (Tjon A Ten, 2007). 

As most schoolgirls from poor families cannot afford 

sanitary protection, they have to resort to using 

unconventional solutions such as newspapers, cheap 

tissue paper and pieces of clothes and blankets. The 

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki has in recent years 

abolished the high taxes on sanitary pads, but to a 

large group of women they are still too expensive 

(Awuor, 2009). 

Hygienic Risks with Improvised 

Sanitary Products 

The lack of proper sanitary protection gives rise 

to improvised solutions, which can incur not only 

risks to women and their health but also have social 

implications. Girls may develop bodily odours due 

to the improvised solutions. This in turn may lead to 

social exclusion. The improper cleaning of rags used 

during menstruation can lead to growth of mildew 

and bacteria if they are washed without soap and 

dried in damp and dark conditions (Mathews, 1995). 

With improvised sanitary products, there is a high 

prevalence of vaginal infections, making women more 

susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases including 

HIV/AIDS. In some cases, it has even led to infertility 

or required hysterectomies (Action for South Africa, 

2009). 

Lack Of Sanitation Facilities 

The lack of adequate sanitation facilities leads to 

that one out of ten African schoolgirls does not 

attend school during menstruation (Unicef, 2005 in 

Biriwasha, 2008). Privacy may not be obtained due 

to the lack of facilities separating girls from boys. 

Moreover, many schools do not have basic sanitation 

facilities such as running water, toilet facilities and 

appropriate disposal systems (Biriwasha, 2008). The 

shortage of clean water in Kisumu, with approximately 

40 % of the population having access to piped water, 

also has a serious implication on menstrual handling 

(Anyamba, T, 2009). These issues all affect girls’ 

possibilities to wash their reusable pads, change their 

sanitary protection and to remain clean during their 

periods. 

Female pit latrine in Kibera, Nairobi 

Disposal 

An average woman in the Western world disposes 125- 

150 kg of pads, tampons and applicators throughout 

her lifetime (Bharadway & Patkas, 2004). Without a 

proper waste management system, as often is the case in 

developing countries, the disposal of sanitary protection 

becomes an increasing environmental issue. 

In Kenya, menstrual protection is mostly disposed 

of in the pit latrines. This is a preferred alternative 

to disposing it through burning as some believe that 

a girl might lose her fertility when burning her own 

blood (Awuor, 2009). 


page 35 of 97

Cultural Perceptions and 

Prerequisites 

There are many myths, misconceptions and taboos 

concerning menstruation. In many cultures, girls 

must marry as a virgin and sanitary protections that 

are inserted into the body are therefore not an option 

as it is in conflict with their virginity. Thus, the most 

suitable protection for menstruating girls living in 

these cultures seems to be sanitary pads (Tjon A Ten, 

2007). 

According to Prick (2009), women and men do not 

speak about menstruation but girls do speak about 

it among themselves and to their female relatives. In 

Kisumu, Awuor (2009) mentions that it is taboo for 

a father to see his daughter’s blood, especially that 

stemming from menstruation. During their periods, 

they are not supposed to prepare meals for their 

fathers, who should not know that their daughters are 

menstruating. 

Prick (2009) mentions that young girls prefer sanitary 

pads that are thin and with wings. Older women prefer 

pads that are thick and long or make use of old rags 

for protection. These are then washed and dried in the 

sun, which is positive as sun drying kills bacteria. 

In the eastern parts of the Lake Victoria region, 

elderly women usually do not wear underwear 

whereas younger girls do. The underwear, worn on a 

daily basis due to the heat, are mostly in cotton and 

girls buy them with help of their parents, boyfriends, 

“sugar daddies”, or might inherit them from richer 

relatives (Prick, 2009). Girls from poor families can 

however not afford underwear and they may then sew 

something that is similar to underwear out of tattered 

clothes (Awuor, 2009). As schoolgirls wear skirts for 

their school uniforms, they will most likely feel more 

comfortable and protected with underwear. Another 

issue that poor girls face is the lack of privacy in 

their homes. Prick (2009) mentions that many poor 

families live together in one room, and this together 

with poor access to sanitation facilities renders it 

difficult for girls to change their pads. 

Pictures of Kenyan women 


page 36 of 97

Construction of 

a Conventional 

Sanitary Pad 

In order to gain knowledge on the construction of 

conventional sanitary pads, a variety of models and 

brands of pads were looked upon. Their different design 

solutions, materials, sizes, thicknesses, number of layers, 

and price were observed. All the examined sanitary 

pads functioned more or less in the same manner, only 

diverging in details. The materials used were also rather 

similar, except for a biodegradable pad, which mainly 

consisted of cotton and bio-plastic. Following is a 

general and abbreviated list of layers and materials: 

- Surface layer: Nonwoven or perforated film of 

polyethylene or polypropylene. Allows the liquid 

to pass through and is meant to give the user a dry 

feeling. 

- Transfer layer: Loosely packed cellulose or a nonwoven 

material made from polyethylene or polypropylene. 

Transfers and absorbs the liquid quickly to the 

absorbent layer. 

- Absorbent layer: Compressed cellulose, sometimes 

combined with superabsorbent polymers. Absorbs 

and holds liquid. 

- Barrier layer: Plastic sheet of polyethylene or 

polypropylene. Possesses a hydrophobic quality in 

terms of preventing liquid from leaking through. 

- Adhesive layer: Adhesive of natural or synthetic resin. 

Glues the pad to the underwear during use. 

- Release paper: Plastic sheet of polyethylene or 

polypropylene. Protects the adhesive (sometimes in 

combination with the wrapping paper). 

- Wrapping paper: Plastic sheet of polyethylene 

or polypropylene. Protects the pad from its 

surroundings. 

- Secondary packaging: Plastic bag of polyethylene 

or polypropylene. Keeps the single packed pads 

together. 

Dissection of a conventional sanitary pad 


page 37 of 97

Materials 

The materials of conventional hygiene products and 

their production processes were investigated in order 

to identify the possibilities of making similar materials 

out of the water hyacinth. 

Nonwoven 

Nonwoven stepped forward as an interesting type of 

material when examining the materials of conventional 

hygiene products such as diapers and sanitary pads. 

There are several ways of making a non-woven 

material and several kinds of fibres that can be used 

to create the material. The common denominator is 

that fibres are transformed into a web like structure 

and thus forming a fabric without the need of making 

yarn first. The fibres can be bound to each other 

by mechanical, chemical or heat treatment. One of 

the most commonly known non-woven textiles is 

probably felt, made by wool that is worked together 

in warm water and soap. Other natural fibres used for 

non-woven textiles are cotton, bamboo, flax, hemp 

and abaca (Hutten, 2007). 

Conventional sanitary pad with nonwoven layer 


page 38 of 97

Possible Ways of 

Making Materials 

Hydrophobic 

Different means of treating materials, possibly made 

from water hyacinth, in order to make them waterrepellent 

was investigated to obtain the barrier layer 

of the pad. 

Sizing Agents 

Sizing agents are used to prevent paper from absorbing 

water or ink due to capillary attraction. There are 

many different types of sizing agents used in the 

preparation of paper. Below follows a review of three 

different agents. 

Alkyl Ketene Dimmer 

Alkyl ketene dimmer, AKD, is an internal sizing 

agent made out of vegetable or animal-based fatty 

acids. The wax is produced in Trollhättan, Sweden, 

and is for the Nordic market emulsified in Borås, 

also in Sweden. An AKD dispersion has a limited 

storing possibility when exposed to heat; normally 

30 days at 20°C (Lyrmalm, 2009). For one tonne 

of paper, a few kilograms of AKD is required. The 

price for one tonne of emulsion with 10% AKD is 

5000€. The sizing agent is approved for usage in food 

packaging, and would thereby also be suitable for the 

hydrophobic layer of the sanitary pad (Andersson, 

2009). In addition, AKD is biodegradable; after 28 

days it has reduced more than 90% (Lyrmalm, 2009) 

and would thus fulfil the project aim of creating a 

biodegradable pad. 

TopScreen DS13 

TopScreen DS13 is an ecological water based water 

barrier coating, which contains a biopolymer. The 

agent has no negative impact on the recyclability 

and biodegradability of papers and cardboard. 

Furthermore, it is approved for use in food packaging 

(Topchim, 2008). 

Sugarcane 

In 2008, the Cooperative Research Centre for 

Sugarcane Innovation through Biotechnology found 

a way of utilising the cellulose in sugarcane plant 

waste to produce waterproof paper and cardboard. In 

the process, the cellulose is extracted and thereafter 

fermented to make a lignin that can be used as a 

waterproof coating for papers. This technology would 

be advantageous in terms of using the sugarcane waste, 

which would normally be discarded, to replace for 

example petroleum-based wax for cardboards (CRC 

SIIB, 2008). 

Natural Fats 

Natural oils and waxes are produced from animals 

and plants as organic fatty acids, liquid or solid. In 

general these fats are insoluble in water, and when 

cleaned, sterilised and free of water, they withstand 

microbes. There are several different types of these 

fats, and below follows an overview of types relevant 

for a locally produced sanitary pad. 

Beeswax (cera flava) 

- Smell of honey and a characteristic taste 

- Melting point at 62-65°C 

- Bleaching it (either with chemicals or sunlight) will 

decrease smell and taste 

- Used for e.g. treating leather, producing waxed 

paper, lithography, cosmetics, ointment and in special 

candles (Store Norske Leksikon, 2009) 

- Beekeeping is well-established in Kenya, which has the 

potential of producing 10 000 metric tonnes of beeswax 

per annum. However, at the moment only 2 000 metric 

tonnes are produced (Embassy of the Republic of Kenya 

in the People’s Republic of China, 2008). 

- One of the main exports of the neighbouring country 

Ethiopia is beeswax (BBC, 2009) 

Stearin 

- Solid fat or wax without odour or taste 

- Together with palmitin, the largest part in most 

animal and vegetable fats e.g. tallow and cacao fat 

- Melting point at 72°C 

- Used in e.g. candles, cosmetics, pharmaceutical 

products and lubricants (Store Norske Leksikon, 

2009) 

Tallow 

- Cheaper and easier accessible than beeswax 

- Produced from the solid fat around the bigger organs 

of ruminant animals 

- Melting point at 45-50°C, thereby becoming liquid 

- Used in e.g. candles, cosmetics and soaps (Shenet, 2009) 


page 39 of 97

PROCESS II 


page 40 of 97

Process II 

Different types of brainstorming sessions have been 

combined with different methods of evaluation in 

order to generate new ideas and thereafter decide 

upon which solutions to continue with. The work 

has had a hands-on approach, in which we have had 

the possibility of making and testing paper as well as 

non-woven materials with the dried water hyacinth 

stems that we brought with us from Kenya. With 

the materials that we produced out of the plant, we 

were able to make prototypes and evaluate them. The 

product development process has been iterative, in 

which we worked parallel with different phases of the 

process, frequently having to rethink our concepts. 

Our iterative design process. Instead of starting with an 

idea, we started with a raw material 


page 41 of 97

Deriving Design 

Criteria 

In a product development project, it is common to 

state a list of design criteria for the product to be. 

These are often derived from user studies, similar 

products or visions within the company. These criteria 

are then used as guidelines and for verification during 

the design and development process. 

Design Criteria for the Sanitary Pad 

To start the work with developing a sanitary pad, design 

criteria was derived from the gathered information on 

existing pads and the current situation for women in 

Kenya. Many conventional sanitary pads have a twolayered 

absorptive kernel for improved performance. 

This type of construction could be possible to 

manufacture from water hyacinth and therefore 

design criteria was derived for four different layers, 

also including a surface and barrier layer. In addition, 

some requirements which apply for the whole pad were 

compiled from our own experience, our visions about 

sustainability, and the website of Hygiene Absorbent 

Products Manufacturers Committee, HAPCO. Some 

of the criteria were decided to be of less importance as 

the pad will be of low cost. The criteria were therefore 

divided into absolute or desired criteria. Thereafter, the 

somewhat negotiable requirements were marked with 

a different colour. Some criteria were supplemented 

by goal measurements, others with explanatory 

comments. See Appendix XIII for the complete list of 

design criteria for the pad. 

Design Criteria for the Packaging 

The criteria for the packaging were generated through 

brainstorming. As with the criteria for the sanitary 

pad, the criteria were divided into the two categories 

absolute and desired and then classified as important 

or negotiable. See Appendix XIV for the complete list 

of design criteria for the packaging. 


page 42 of 97

Developing Materials 

One goal with the development of the sanitary pad 

was to keep the manufacturing process as simple and 

cheap as possible. It would also be a great advantage if 

the production was easy to start up in a small scale. We 

therefore started to investigate how paper traditionally 

was made by hand. Additionally, out of curiosity over 

the possibilities with a nonwoven material, we tried 

to create such a structure. We also considered other 

materials possible to use in the sanitary pad, taking 

into account if it was to be disposable and if it would 

be reusable. 

Tree of Materials for 

Different Layers of 

the Sanitary Pad 

To structure our thoughts concerning different 

materials possible to use in the different layers of 

the pad, we drew a tree-structure showing different 

possible layer-combinations for a disposable, semi 

disposable and reusable pad. See Appendix XV for an 

illustration of the tree. 


page 43 of 97

Making Paper 

At the manual paper mill, Kvarnbyns Handpappersbruk, 

in Mölndal, Sweden, we got the opportunity 

to learn the traditional methods of papermaking and 

to experiment with our dried water hyacinth petioles. 

This non-profit organisation has been a most valuable 

resource to us and during three weeks we visited the 

paper mill several times in order to produce material 

for our development process. Our work there can 

be divided into three stages; getting to know the 

methods, developing an absorbent and developing 

the surface layer. 

right: Making hyacinth pulp in the Hollander Beater 

below: Bertil Mark teaching us about making paper 


page 44 of 97

The first step of the process is to treat the petioles in a 

so-called Hollander Beater, a machine designed to tear 

and shear the fibres. By adjusting the space between 

the blades on the roll and the bedplate, it is possible 

to regulate the level of fractioning of the fibres. On 

the Hollander Beater at the paper mill, this is done by 

adding or reducing weights to a lever. At our first visit, 

the Hollander was filled up with water and about 200 

g of dry matter. We then ran the machine for about 

half an hour adding on weights after about 5 and 20 

minutes. The slurry was then poured into a container 

and diluted with more water. After this it is common 

to add a sizing agent. At Kvarnbyns Handpappersbruk 

they use AKD and we chose to use this agent in a small 

percentage of our papers. Next step is to produce the 

papers by sliding a mould and a deckle into the tub and 

gently pulling it upwards and out of the slurry. The wet 

paper mass is then pressed upon a piece of textile and 

hung horizontally to dry for a couple of days. To get 

a thinner and more compact paper, it is possible to 

compress it in a press before hanging it to dry. 

from left: Levering the mould and deckle from the tub 

filled with water hyacinth slurry 

Pressing the mass on a piece of textile 

Hanging to dry 


page 45 of 97

In order to create different patterns, potentially 

beneficial for a paper for the absorbent layer, we 

pressed the paper mass onto table mats with varying 

structures. Some papers were also pressed between 

two table mats. The thickness was also varied and 

some papers were additionally pressed in the press 

while others were not. 

During our first visits at the paper mill, we discovered 

that the paper mass from water hyacinth was made 

up of two main components, finely ground plant 

matter and thin fibres about tree centimetres long. 

The discovery of the long fibres made us excited and 

we decided to extract these in order to create a thin 

and strong surface layer for the pad. After pondering 

on how to extract the fibres and consulting Bengt 

Svennerstedt at the Swedish University of Agricultural 

Sciences in Alnarp, Sweden, we decided to try combing 

the paper mass, submerged in water, for fibres. This 

proved to work well though it was a truly labour 

intensive task. We extracted a small amount of fibres 

that we moulded to a sheet, then pressed and hang 

dried. The result was a thin and flexible sheet and on 

a later visit, we made more paper of this fashion, from 

now on referred to as fibre papers. 

left: Pressing the mass on different surfaces to create 

different structures 

below: Extracted fibres from the hyacinth pulp 


page 46 of 97

Making Nonwoven 

To investigate if it would be possible to make a 

nonwoven textile out of the water hyacinth fibre, 

we contacted Swerea IVF, a company working with 

research and development for the industry. From 

the water hyacinth mass created in the Hollander at 

Kvarnbyns Handpappersbruk, we extracted long fibres 

in the same way as when creating the fibre papers. 

We dried the extracted fibres and brought them to 

Swerea IVF. At their lab we inserted the fibres in a 

carding machine. Unfortunately the amount of fibres 

was not enough and instead of creating a gauze, the 

machine merely fluffed the fibres. However, we placed 

the fluffed up fibres on a large sheet of tissue paper 

in order to simulate a gauze, which was necessary in 

order to feed the fibres through the needle punch 

nonwoven machine. This was done twice in an attempt 

to make the structure durable. As a result, the fibres 

were fastened to the paper. Without this supporting 

foundation, the nonwoven would probably tear apart 

very easily. 

below: Extracted and air-dried fibres 

right: Attempt to make a nonwoven at Swerea IVF 


page 47 of 97

Material Testing 

After having created different papers and the 

nonwoven, it was time to test the qualities of the 

materials. 

Testing of Heavy 

Metals 

Since the water hyacinth is known for absorbing heavy 

metals and other pollutants, we saw it necessary to 

test the materials meant for the sanitary pad for heavy 

metals. Swerea IVF has a laboratory where it is possible 

to test textiles for the Oeko-tex standard. With the 

financial help of SCA Hygiene, we sent Swerea IVF 

two grams of one of the papers made without AKD 

and two grams of the dried petioles. The Oeko-tex 

test is a simulation of wearing the material against 

the skin. The samples are put in a sweat-solution and 

are, at a temperature of 40°C, shaken for an hour. 

Thereafter, the solution is analysed for metals. 

The results of the tests were satisfying, none of the 

limiting values were exceeded and the water hyacinth 

would therefore be suitable as a material for a sanitary 

pad. The results varied somewhat between the paper 

and the petioles and this was according to the test 

conductor due to that the fibres in the paper had been 

processed and therefore might release some of the 

metals more easily. The higher levels of some metals 

in the sample of petioles might be due to the fact that 

these were treated with preservative containing small 

amounts of heavy metals. These metals may have been 

“washed away” during the pulp making process. See 

Appendix VII for test results. 


page 48 of 97

Absorption Testing 

After developing the materials, we performed an 

absorption test on single sheets of 100% water hyacinth, 

measuring approximately 60x200mm. They had 

differences in thickness and texture e.g. with “channels”, 

semi-penetrating holes, mesh, and roughness. Some 

sheets were pressed while others were not, and a few 

papers were multilayered. The simulation liquid used 

in the test was a mixture of water, corn starch and red 

food colouring as contrast. Despite that the absorption 

tests were quite non-scientific, they worked as a guide for 

confirming or discarding assumptions. With a pipette, 

we executed mainly two different tests with different 

purposes, both being timed: 

1) Drop-test; how fast the paper absorbed one drop from 

the pipette 

2) 3+3 ml test; how fast the paper absorbed and 

transported a larger amount of the liquid 

We also looked at the amount of leakage on the white 

paper under the absorbents to see how well the hyacinth 

papers absorbed the liquid. 

Observations 

- Unpressed paper was superior to the pressed paper in 

absorption, especially in time but also in regards to the 

amount. 

- Papers with channels lead the water and transported 

the liquid further compared with the sheets without 

- The paper bulged when it absorbed liquid and became 

weakened 

Testing absorption properties 


page 49 of 97

Hydrophobic Testing 

This liquid repellent test was of the same character 

as the absorption test; non-scientific and more as a 

guidance. The purpose was mainly to make the bottom 

layer hydrophobic, as a liquid barrier, but maybe also 

applying it to the top layer, in that case together with 

perforation. 

The hydrophobic testing was also performed with 

different variables on each sheet. Firstly, the materials 

were varied, most of the sheets were standard hyacinth 

paper, pressed and without AKD, but we also tested 

the nonwoven structure and paper made out of cotton. 

The sheets were treated with stearin or beeswax and the 

fats were applied in different amounts, either through 

rubbing it on or melting it into the sheets with an 

iron. As a last variable, the sheets were perforated in 

one end, with holes of a diameter of 2.3 mm, and 

with an average distance of 6 mm in between them. 

An absorbent was placed under the holes to simulate 

the way with which a sanitary pad functions. The 

simulation liquid we used was the same as in the 

absorption test; a mixture of water, corn starch and 

red food colouring. 

The reason why we did not try out tallow was 

because it probably would be rather soft and greasy 

at a temperature around 30 to 35°C, this would be 

problematic as the average body temperature is about 

37°C. In addition, AKD was not tested as we at this 

point regarded it as a too expensive alternative. The 

fibre paper was not a part of this test since we only 

had a small piece of that quality when we conducted 

this test. However, the results for the fibre paper were 

assumed to be similar to that of the ordinary hyacinth 

paper. 

Observations 

- The nonwoven turned out to be the material with 

the best repellence. This was indicated through the 

surface tension of the drop, enabling a minimal 

contact surface with the nonwoven. This might 

have something to do with the fibres “carrying” the 

drop. Without the wax, this material was however an 

excellent absorbent 

- Beeswax seemed to be just as good and maybe also 

a better repellent than stearin. Additionally, it also 

made the nonwoven a bit more flexible 

- The stiffness of the paper increased with the amount 

of applied wax 

- Sheets rubbed in with wax did not withstand liquid 

particularly well compared to the ones with melted 

wax. This might be due to that a smaller amount of 

wax came onto the paper, and also that by rubbing, 

another layer was applied rather than “blending” with 

the paper 

top: Applying beeswax to the hyacinth paper by melting 

it in with an iron 

right: Reppelency on wax-treated nonwoven 


page 50 of 97

Evaluation of 

Materials 

After having performed different types of testing, it 

was time to evaluate the materials and decide upon 

the most suitable materials for each and every layer of 

the sanitary pad. 

Absorbent 

To choose a material for the absorbent layer was easy 

as one of the tested papers was clearly the best one. 

This paper was dried on a tablemat with small groves. 

Before drying, the same type of mat was hand pressed 

onto the other side of the paper, making it striped on 

both sides. 

Surface Layer & Barrier Layer 

From the hydrophobic testing we could conclude 

that water hyacinth paper with melted beeswax, 

cotton based paper with beeswax, and nonwoven 

with beeswax were the best alternatives. However, 

the nonwoven material was time-consuming to 

make compared to the papers and demands bigger 

investments in machinery. Furthermore, this material 

was very fragile before the application of wax, which 

may make the manufacturing complicated. As the 

papers became stiffer from the wax treatment, we 

tried walking a short distance wearing first the water 

hyacinth paper and secondly the cotton paper between 

two pairs of panties. The water hyacinth paper broke 

in two pieces very quickly, which forced us to rule 

out that option. The cotton paper had a better 

resistance to the movement but did however make a 

lot of sound. It was also uncomfortable since it chafed 

against the thighs. When all of our first alternatives 

were dismissed, we turned to the fibre paper, which 

was quite flexible and soft even after the waxing. It 

was almost not noticeable when wearing it between 

two panties and it did not tear apart as the regular 

hyacinth paper did. Through a quick test, we noted 

that the hydrophobic quality was a bit lower than 

for the other chosen papers, but this was regarded as 

depending on the thinness of the sheet. As we did 

not have any other feasible alternative materials made 

out of water hyacinth for the 1st and the 4th layer, 

we decided to assume that this material would be 

functional. This assumption was necessary in order 

to enable the continuing development of the whole 

pad. 

Packaging 

For the packaging, we needed a thin and somewhat 

water resistant paper. As the development process of 

the packaging took place rather late in the project, we 

had limited time experimenting with sizing agents. 

The material we chose was therefore a rather thin 

and pressed water hyacinth paper with AKD for an 

increased durability that we assumed would meet our 

design criteria. 


page 51 of 97

DEVELOPING A 

SANITARY PAD 


page 52 of 97

Developing a Sanitary Pad 

As previously mentioned, our process has not been a 

straight one and this is particularly true for our work 

with developing the sanitary pad. Different methods 

of evaluation and the mock-ups that we made helped 

us in deciding which concepts to continue with. 

Evaluation of 

Disposable versus 

Reusable Sanitary Pads 

In the initial phase of the development process, we 

considered both reusable and disposable concepts. The 

reusable concepts focused on having a reusable pad 

combined with an absorbent made of water hyacinth, 

whereas with the disposable concept, we aspired to 

make the entire pad out of the plant. Halfway through 

the development process of the pad, we summoned 

our argument for or against both product types. 

The advantages and disadvantages of each solution 

depend on the context in which it is to be used. As 

our pad targets women in poverty, there is the issue 

of access to clean water, soap and washing facilities, 

which is required for the maintenance of a reusable 

pad. Such a pad would however be beneficial in terms 

of cost as it would be possible to make out of rags. In 

addition, cloth may be more comfortable against the 

skin. There would also be a possibility for the user to 

adjust the amount of absorbent that can be put into 

the pad depending on how heavy the menstruation 

flow is. 

From an environmental point of view, a reusable pad 

has often been seen as more appropriate in terms 

of reducing the amount of generated waste. The 

absorbent in our concepts would have to be changed 

a few times every day, but as it is biodegradable, its 

environmental impact would be extremely low. The 

disposable concept would have a similar effect if we 

manage to make it entirely biodegradable. 

Thus, in regards to the issue of washing a reusable 

pad and the fact that in such a pad, other materials 

such as newspapers could be placed in it, we decided 

that a disposable pad would be the most reasonable 

solution. 

Brainstorming on 

Fastening Methods 

The aim of a brainstorming session on fastening 

methods was to try to find other solutions than the 

conventional fastening possibilities of a sanitary 

pad. As an initial starting ground, images of existing 

sanitary protections were looked upon for inspiration. 

Ideas were generated around ten different fastening 

solutions of which some were customary and others 

more unconventional. Most of our focus was put on 

developing concepts for panties, but consideration 

was also taken to creating a solution for girls who 

could not afford underwear. 

Glue 

A solution that today is used in all conventional and 

disposable sanitary pads 

Friction I 

The aspiration was to see whether the barrier layer 

of a pad consisting only of water hyacinth could be 

treated or formed in a way so that it would be held to 

the panty by friction 


page 53 of 97

Friction II 

The idea was to use an additional friction layer of a 

material other than water hyacinth to keep the pad 

in place 

Clips I 

An additional accessory in for example metal or plastic 

intended to attach the pad to the underwear 

Clips II 

A paper-clip solution intended to be integrated in the 

pad itself for fastening on panty 

Bikini Wrap 

A no-panty solution in which the idea was to make 

parts of the pad longer and thinner, in the front and 

back, to enable the user to tie the material around the 

hips 

String 

Two strings moulded into the pad for tying it to the 

underwear 

Holes 

One hole in the front as well as the back of the pad 

and the intention is that it is up to the user to add 

something to tie it with. The pad can either be tied 

to the underwear or around the hips if the user 

cannot afford underwear. This solution can also be a 

complement to other fastening methods 

Folding Wings 

Fastening the wings together by snapping them to 

each other. This can be done either by folding them 

together, inserting one of them into the other, or 

similar solutions 

Buttovn 

A solution intending to attach the pad to the panty 

with the aid of a button or pin in either one or two 

places 

Early sketches on fastening methods 


page 54 of 97

Evaluation of 

Fastening Methods 

From the list of design criteria, a few requirements 

important for the evaluation of fastening methods 

were chosen. In order to determine the most essential 

criteria, we performed a pair comparison. See 

Appendix VIII for matrix and procedure. Next, the 

different fastening concepts were evaluated according 

to the chosen requirements. The criteria of low cost 

and maintenance were also evaluated according to 

whether the concept was disposable, semi disposable 

or semi reusable. This due to that these criteria greatly 

depend on the type of concept of which they are 

to be in. The evaluation of the different fastening 

methods was performed and structured in a matrix. 

See Appendix IX for matrix and procedure. The 

concepts of glue, friction I, string, holes, folding 

wings and button scored rather high in general, 

whereas the concepts of friction II, clips I, clips II and 

bikini wrap scored relatively low. However, to only 

choose concepts depending on these scores may be 

misleading as the ranking leading up to the scores is 

somewhat subjective. 

As the evaluation of material for the barrier layer was 

complete, we could finally choose an appropriate 

fastening method. At this point we had also decided 

to focus only on a disposable concept and the most 

promising fastening methods were glue, strings, holes 

and folding wings. The other methods were considered 

unfeasible, uncomfortable or unpractical. As the 

paper chosen for the barrier layer is somewhat fragile, 

the two solutions “holes” and “folding wings” was 

reckoned to increase the risk of breakage. In addition, 

to make the wings adjustable to fit different panties 

was considered more complicated in comparison with 

strings or glue. 

The comparison between glue and strings started 

with a mock-up test of the two solutions. To test 

the string concept, we took conventional pads and 

attached strings to them in various ways. In one test, 

we investigated whether a string could be used to keep 

the different layers of the pad together and at the same 

time act as a friction material on the pad bottom. The 

string was however to smooth for the pad to fasten 

properly on the panties. One test aimed to see whether 

the strings could be used as substitutes for the wings. 

Four holes were made in the pad through which two 

pieces of strings were tied together in different ways to 

hold the pad in place. We tried tying the ends of each 

string together and the result was similar to the test in 

which we attached the end of one string to opposite 

end of the second string and thereby creating a cross on 

the bottom. The disadvantage with the latter method 

was that the knots were concentrated in one spot. The 

overall result was satisfactory as the strings kept the 

pad in place and did not permit much movement. 

In another test, we tested to see whether string could 

be used to hold both wings and pad in place. This 

solution also kept the pad in place. However, there 

was a tendency for it to move length wise and the 

tying procedure required several aspects to take into 

consideration. The strings in both tests scrunched up 

the panty crotch and the tying action was perceived 

as somewhat difficult. This could however be worked 

around with different tying solutions. 

To test the glue concept, we left parts of the protective 

paper covering the glue and we could then try out how 

much glue was needed. The first test was to just attach 

the wings to each other under the panties. The pad 

was held in place sideways but it moved somewhat 

lengthways. Next step was to try to fasten the wings 

on the underside of the panty. This method proved 

to provide sufficient fastening of the pad. Finally, the 

pad was stripped of its wings and fastened with a few 

square centimetres of glue in the front and rear end. 

This method was however not good enough as the 

pad moved a lot in the panty due to that the glue was 

too weak. 

To complement the mock-up test, another evaluation 

matrix was set up. This analytic ranking was performed 

with five criteria that were determined to be the most 

important to compare. See Appendix X for matrix 

and procedure. In both the mock-up test and in the 

evaluation matrix , the glue concept came out as the 

preferred solution and we thus decided to continue 

with it. 


page 55 of 97

Generating Concepts 

for the Whole Pad 

When both fastening method and materials were 

determined, it was finally time to start generating 

concepts for the whole sanitary pad. This was done 

through brainstorming. Aspects such as how to fasten 

the different layers to each other, how to minimise 

leakage and how to use the materials efficiently 

were considered. Concerning the measurements of 

the sanitary pad, we decided to use measurements 

inspired by conventional pads as these measurements 

are known to be suitable. 

In the end, we had three methods for fastening the 

layers to each other. The first one would be to melt 

the beeswax on the edges of the pad and this could 

be accompanied by some kind of perforation. The 

second method would be to produce one fibre paper, 

put an absorbent-shaped piece of plastic onto the wet 

paper and then press a second layer of fibre paper 

onto it. When the double paper has dried, it would 

be possible to remove the plastic and a space for the 

absorbent is created. This method will further on be 

referred to as the pitta concept. The third method 

would be to simply roll the fibre paper around the 

absorbent, making a double layer on the bottom of 

the pad. This solution limits the form possibilities but 

decreases the risk of leakage through the barrier layer. 

The second and the third method require additional 

fastening of the layers in the front and the rear end of 

the pad. This would be possible to accomplish with 

the first method of using beeswax. 

In addition, we had three concepts for preventing 

leakage. The first one would be some type of folding 

around the edges of the pad. These upward facing 

folds would act as walls and stop flow from slipping 

of the pad. The walls could be shaped in various ways 

and be placed on only the long sides, in front and on 

the long sides or on all four sides. The second and 

third concepts were the same as conventional pads, 

with or without wings. 

The different principles of how to fasten the layers 

to each other can be combined with the concepts 

of leakage prevention and thus generate several 

interesting concepts. 

Conceptual sketches for the whole pad 


page 56 of 97

Evaluation of the 

Pad Concepts 

To evaluate the different concepts, five mock-ups 

were constructed. As the newly produced fibre papers 

hadn’t dried when we made the mock-ups, we used 

thin paper towels for the surface and the barrier 

layer. These layers were glued together where it was 

needed. For the absorbent layer, we used two sheets 

of the chosen absorbent paper. Mock-up one was 

constructed like a regular sanitary pad with no wings. 

Mock-up two was also shaped like a conventional pad 

but with wings. Mock-up three had a rim all around 

the edges and no wings. Mock-up four functioned 

similarly to number three but with folded rims along 

the long edges. Mock-up five had the paper towel 

wrapped around the absorbent forming a double 

barrier layer. This mock-up also had wings. 

Two group members tested the mock-ups between 

two panties. Each pad was fastened with tape in a 

few designated spots and used during five minutes. 

One group member tested the mock-ups with just 

one panty thus wearing the pad as a real user would. 

These tests were also five minutes long each. The 

two first group members thought all the pads to be 

rather comfortable except for mock-up three, which 

was somewhat unpleasant to wear according to one 

of the persons. Mock-up one was favoured by one 

of the persons while mock-up two was favoured by 

the other. The group member who tested the mockups 

with just one panty observed that all the models 

made a lot of noise when walking. Mock-up one was 

considered to be least comfortable as it was the one 

causing the most chafing against the thighs. Number 

two, three and four also caused chafing. Mock-up 

five was the most comfortable one since it caused less 

chafing of them all, probably as it had no glued edges 

and that it was slightly narrower than the others. 

As the testing of the mock-ups resulted in spread 

judgements, an analytic comparison was performed. 

Design criteria important for this kind of comparison 

were elected and a pair comparison was performed 

in order to determine the relative importance of the 

different criteria. See Appendix XI for matrix and 

procedure. Mock-up two got the highest score, closely 

followed by mock-up on and five. Mock-up three and 

four got the lowest scores, which agreed with the 

results from the physical testing. 

The five mock-ups (though not in the same 

order as in the text: 1, 3, 4, 2, 5) 


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Further Development 

of Pad Concepts 

Mock-up one, two and five proved most promising in 

the evaluation phase and were thus chosen for further 

development. We started by building a realistic model 

of concept two, with the top and bottom-layer waxed 

and glued together along the sides. This model turned 

out to be very inflexible, mainly due to the hard and 

quite sharp edges and wings. Moreover, as the first 

and fourth layer were not allowed to move relative to 

each another. These discovered issues also ruled out 

the pitta concept since this method of attaching the 

layers to each other was believed to create the same 

kind of stiffness and sharp edges. However, when 

having made the fibre paper according to the pitta 

concept, the surface of the hollow space was found to 

be very smooth. The industrial process of this is called 

calendaring and it showed that the fibre paper could 

become more comfortable for the user if it was dried 

against an even surface. 

To address the revealed problems, we started generating 

ideas on how we could allow the top layer to compress 

or move relative to the fourth layer. The trouble was 

that if the layers were fixed to each other, the top layer 

would crease and cause discomfort during usage. We 

came up with a variety of solutions, mainly based 

on the idea of folding the layers in different ways to 

allow movement. This kind of solution proved to be 

complicated to manufacture and as the fibre paper 

is not very strong, these solutions would put stress 

on the material. The winning solution proved to be 

parallel slots in the top layer, which allows this layer 

to compress during usage. 

We liked the flexible edges of mock-up five but were 

discouraged by the square shape, which made the pad 

feel somewhat primitive and inflexible. The problem 

was thoroughly thought through and the solution was 

to partly keep the fold. On the ends of the pad, there is 

no need for more than one layer as the absorbent is both 

less broad here and also ends about a centimetre from 

the short side of the pad. This results in that it is possible 

to cut any desired shape in the ends, without losing the 

folded edge along the main part of the long sides. 

When examening the tests, like this absorbent core, we 

saw the potential in making the pad pre-shaped 


page 58 of 97

Our minds where for a long time set on that a pad 

must be flat before usage but looking at the shape of 

tested mock-ups made us rethink this. The edges of 

the pad are often slightly folded upwards due to the 

panties, and in the middle a soft ridge is formed. In 

order to make our pad more flexible, we came up with 

the idea to pre-fold the pad to create this ridge in the 

middle of the pad, so that the pad can adapt more 

easily to the body. 

A prototype, combining the slots with the half 

folding, was built and tested with satisfying results. 

The pad was tested for about three hours. In the start 

of the test, the pad was slightly uncomfortable but 

it adapted well to the body rather quick. It stayed 

well in place with the help of four pieces of tape, one 

in each end and two on each side of the fold in the 

middle. The top layer showed some weakness as one 

of the “bridges” between two of the slots broke. This 

might depend on the fact that the top layer was left 

untreated on this prototype. 

Developing 

Packaging & Brand 

The work with the packaging started first when a final 

concept for the sanitary pad was almost ready. This 

since the form of the packaging is related to the shape, 

size and possible fastening method of the pads. 

Brainstorming on Packaging 

A brainstorming session was conducted to generate 

ideas for possible packaging solutions. Focus was 

put on how to best protect it against dirt and dust, 

space and material efficiency, how to allow the selling 

of single pads and how it could be formed for an 

intuitive understanding. Different ways of printing 

on the packaging were also discussed. 

For a long time, we worked with concepts where the 

pads were connected to each other in some way. This 

by for example mounting them on a long strip that 

protected the glue on the pad and at the same time 

provided a surface for printing information. We also 

thought much of how the packaging could be used as 

a display for the pad in the shop. 

Evaluation and Choosing of Packaging Concept 

To choose concept and material for the packaging was 

not as comprehensive, compared to the sanitary pad. 

In our development process, we came up with many 

solutions, but we had a very good candidate early in 

the process, fulfilling our design criteria in a simple 

manner. Nevertheless, we sketched many ideas and 

several mock-ups were constructed with office paper. 

These were discussed in our group and put up against 

our criteria. The selected concept, a wrapping-paper 

solution was ready for further development. 

Sketches on different packaging solutions 


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Further Development 

of the Packaging 

Concept 

We tried out our wrapping-paper concept with different 

kinds of paper, sizes of paper, several ways of folding 

the paper and different fastening solutions. Tissue and 

sandwich paper resembled our thin hyacinth paper, and 

were used to put the right feel to it. Inspiration from 

different ways of wrapping gifts, groceries and food was 

brought in when trying out many ways of folding the 

paper, towards our aims of using as little material as 

possible, finding an easy way of opening and closing 

it, and making it look attractive with smooth folded 

edges. We also looked at different ways of fastening the 

opening flap. As we had decided in our design criteria 

that the packaging would communicate the price, the 

logo etc. we wanted to combine these two and decided 

that a good solution was to use a sticker with all the 

information printed on it. 

Developing Product 

Name & Graphics 

In the search for a suitable name for our product, we 

wanted a ki-swahili word, which preferably would 

be associated with the water hyacinth as the raw 

material, the product being a sanitary pad or being a 

product for females. We brainstormed around names 

and searched in web-based dictionaries in order to 

find translations on ki-swahili. The name “Jani” was 

an early favourite, meaning “leaf” and “sheet”. 

In the making of the logo for the name “Jani”, we 

wanted a strong connection to the hyacinth as a plant. 

It was also important that the logo, in addition to the 

letters, consisted of a symbol that could stand on its 

own but still communicate the brand. The lettering 

was influenced by some of the typography painted on 

building facades in and around Kisumu, working as a 

combination of modern and traditional. 

Symbols on the back of the packaging strip, attached 

to each pad, were developed to inform the user how 

to use the pad as well as how to dispose it through 

pictograms. By communicating this through symbols, 

it was thought that awareness of how the pads were 

to be handled would be created in a more powerful 

manner. When shaping these symbols, feminine 

colours and details were applied to seem appealing to 

our target group. 

Sketches on the logo, playing with organic shapes 


page 60 of 97

RESULT 


page 61 of 97

Result 

The result of ’New Sense in Nuisance’ consists of 

two parts; the first describing the final product and 

the second part depicting the ways with which the 

product can be implemented. 

Final Product 

The final product is a summation of the best of our 

solutions in which our focus has been put on designing 

a simple, cheap, attractive and biodegradable sanitary 

pad and packaging. 

Sanitary Pad 

The final concept has no wings as the properties of the 

fibre paper would make that solution uncomfortable. 

The long sides of the pad are instead of being glued, 

folded to prevent leakage and to increase comfort 

and durability. To generate even more flexibility, 

the sanitary pad is pre-folded. This creates a ridge 

in the middle of the pad, allowing it to adapt faster 

and more easily to the body. The slots in the surface 

layer allow for the layer to easily adapt to the user 

instead of creasing and thereby causing discomfort. 

The pad is easily fastened to the underwear with a 

mild adhesive, a flexible solution in the sense that it 

fits most underwear. 

The ‘Jani’ sanitary pad 


page 62 of 97

In the construction of the pad we have had several 

focuses; comfort, simple production and most 

importantly a low price. To meet these demands, 

the first and fourth layers are made out of one sheet 

of fibre paper with only one joint on the bottom of 

the pad. Making both layers out of one sheet saves 

both material and simplifies the production process. 

The sheet is treated to obtain a hydrophobic quality 

and the fourth layer is in addition waxed to minimise 

the risk of leakage. The first layer is not treated with 

beeswax since this makes it inflexible. In order to let 

the liquid pass through the surface layer, the slots are 

accompanied with perforated holes. These holes are 

arranged in a pattern that forms the leaf from the logo 

in the front and rear end of the pad, see Appendix 

XVII. The absorbent core of the pad consists of two 

layers of absorbent paper, one smaller than the other 

to create a smooth transfer from the thickest part of 

the pad out to the edge. Two layers also contribute to 

a more flexible pad and increase the absorbability. 

The final concept deals with the weaknesses and 

takes advantage of the strengths of the material. By 

our construction we have created an efficient yet 

comfortable and not least, a biodegradable sanitary 

pad. When measuring the pad against the design 

criteria that were derived in the beginning of the 

development process, we believe that it fulfils the 

majority of those that are possible for us to evaluate 

today. Other criteria, such as easy manufacturing, 

need more investigation. 

from left: Explosion sketch of the pad’s layers 

Image showing pre-folded ridge 

Un-folding pad before use 


page 63 of 97

Packaging 

Each sanitary pad is in itself folded and kept in position 

with a thin paper strip with a smooth surface to protect 

the glue. The waxed barrier material on the pad faces 

outwards, and combined with the strip these two forms 

the primary packaging and protects the individual pads. 

Our secondary packaging is a simple solution in which 

ten pads are wrapped together with water hyacinth 

paper, measuring 23x23 cm, and fastened with a sticker. 

This flexible solution allows the customer to either buy 

a pack of ten pads in one go, or just one or two at a 

time. The vendor can then easily tighten the wrapping 

around the remaining pads and reattach the sticker. 

Packaging concepts 


page 64 of 97

Both the paper strip and sticker have in addition to the 

logo also the price, 4 KES, printed on them. By doing 

so, the customer will know the correct price and the 

person who sells them cannot charge a higher price. 

On the paper strip, there are also six symbols that 

describe how the pad is to be placed in the underwear, 

that it can be thrown in the garbage or burned, that it 

should be used no more than five hours, that it should 

not be thrown in the water closet, and that the pad is 

biodegradable. 

When evaluating the packaging against the stated 

design criteria, we consider that the majority of them 

are fulfilled. The criteria that are related to the climatic 

conditions of Kenya were however not possible to 

evaluate in our Swedish climate. 

Brand 

The name ‘Jani’ means ‘leaf’ and ‘sheet’ and is possible 

to associate both to the water hyacinth and to our 

sanitary pad, consisting of several sheets. Furthermore, 

it is a short and catchy name, communicating both 

freshness and youthfulness. 

The logo has the letters J, N and I written in a thin, 

simple and geometrical Egyptian font. The ‘A’ contrasts 

to this font with its thick organic shape, resembling a 

leaf of the hyacinth, and can thus be recognized as the 

symbol of the brand. With no complicated details, 

gradients etc, the logo works in small sizes. Moreover, 

the low complexity makes it easy to perforate the 

symbol into the top layer of the sanitary pad and to 

paint the logo by hand on a vendor’s shop wall or on 

a sign, as is customary in Kenya. 

The primary colour is a “peachy pink” (PMS: DS 

141-4 C, RGB: 255, 50, 140, CMYK: 1,82,6,0), 

which can be perceived as both fresh and feminine. 

In addition, the colour goes along with the colourful 

Kenyan style, and is an effective contrast to the beige 

material of the pad. A dark and rich brown colour is 

used as background in the profile. In dry areas like 

Kisumu, the feeling of an intact product remains, as 

the packaging will not seem to be affected by a dusty 

environment. 

below: The ‘Jani’ logo 

bottom: Graphics on the pad’s wrapping with 

instruction symbols and price 


page 65 of 97

Implementation 

In implementing our sanitary pad, there are many 

aspects to take into account in the process of 

transforming the plant material into a sanitary pad 

and how this pad then reaches its user. 

Harvesting 

As mentioned earlier, the harvesting of the plant 

presents several problems. With its high water content, 

it is heavy to transport, and there is a possibility that 

people will be put in danger when harvesting the 

plant since snakes, crocodiles and malaria carrying 

mosquitoes occur more frequently in areas where the 

plant is dominant. 

What harvesting method that is suitable depends a 

great deal upon the scale of the production. In a smaller 

production, manual harvesting would be appropriate. 

Design solutions for this, needs to be developed for 

the safety of the worker e.g. long tools which enables 

them to keep a distance to the plant, and possibly 

even enable harvesting from the shoreline. 

In a larger scale production, whole mats of hyacinth 

could be harvested and kept. Benefiting on the plant’s 

mobility, one could gather them with a wire, or by 

making them float into a designated area when the 

direction of the wind is right. 

In our project, we have assumed that the plants need 

to be dried before making pulp. We thus envision that 

the hyacinth could be dried next to the harvesting i.e. 

along the shoreline. It could also be possible to utilise 

the shallowness of the lake, and put up poles with lines 

for drying the plants on site. Another idea is to utilise 

the fact that the water hyacinths already cover the 

surface, and therefore dry it on top of other plants. 

Manufacturing 

When planning for the manufacturing of the pad, 

there are several factors that need consideration. The 

production of the pad should be possible to start up 

in a small scale and with a relatively small budget in 

order to facilitate the establishment of a production. 

In accordance with our project aims, we have therefore 

chosen to work with uncomplicated and traditional 

manufacturing methods. 

The petioles should be harvested and dried, then 

shorn and torn to a pulp in the Hollander Beater. 

This machine is however rather expensive and not in 

production today, but could be simulated by simple 

means with for example a cement mixer and a stone 

that acts as a beater. After making the pulp, some of 

the long fibres should be extracted from the pulp to 

make the fibre paper. This “fibre pulp” could also in 

this step of the process be treated with chemicals such 

as AKD to make it hydrophobic. The rest of the pulp 

should be used to make absorbents and wrapping paper 

for the package. When the sheets have dried, they are 

to be cut into shape and the sheet that makes the 

first and fourth layer should be perforated and partly 

treated with beeswax. This sheet is then to be wrapped 

around the two absorbent layers and either glued or 

perforated and melted together with i.e. beeswax. The 

pad should then be pre-folded, unfolded again and 

folded in three in the other direction. Next, glue and 

a protective wrapping paper should be applied to each 

pad. Ten pads are thereafter to be put together in a 

package. 


page 66 of 97

Distribution 

‘Jani’ is intended to be available where the target 

group is located, accessible to them from either small 

kiosks or by street vendors. The vision is that vendors 

buy the pads from a local distributor, paying about 

30 KES for a package of ten sanitary pads. As a whole 

package should cost 40 KES for the customer, the 

vendors would then earn 10 KES per package when 

selling them. As mentioned earlier, the pads should 

also be sold one by one, with the same profit. 

Making Use of the Entire Plant 

Early in our project, we stated that use of the whole 

plant was of high importance, this with special 

attention to the roots, as this is the part that is the 

least evident for use. However, when we worked with 

our sanitary pad, this was less emphasised due to a 

shortage in time. Still, we feel this is an important 

subject that needs to be taken further. 

When making the paper for the pad, only the stems 

of the water hyacinth were used. The leaves would 

however most likely be possible to use for the paper. 

The roots, on the other hand, are a leftover from this 

process but could nevertheless be an economic resource 

for e.g. making fertilisers or in methane production. 

From a biological point of view, throwing back the 

roots of the plant into the lake would minimise the 

positive aspects of removing the hyacinth, since it 

would either regerminate or sink to the bottom and 

rot, and much of the nutrients would be brought back 

to the lake. 

The illustration shows the advantages in using the 

whole plant; stems and leaves as pulp for making 

sanitary pads, and roots as for example fertiliser, since 

this production requires a low degree of investments. 

Both the disposed sanitary pad and the fertiliser will in 

the end bring back nutrients to the soil, contributing 

to a sustainable farming. 

Simplified flow model of nutrients 


page 67 of 97

CONTINUATION 


page 68 of 97

Continuation 

There is a great potential for a low-cost sanitary pad 

made out of water hyacinth, especially in regards to the 

acknowledged lack of affordable sanitary protection in 

developing countries. Not only would such a product 

have an economical as well as social impact on the 

lives of many women, it would also be beneficial to 

the environment. A totally biodegradable pad is a 

good alternative to a conventional disposable pad as 

the average Western woman makes use of 15 000 pads 

and tampons throughout her lifetime (Bharadwaj & 

Patkar, 2004). With respect to the simple means of 

how we have made our pad, the production process 

can easily be reproduced and spread around the world 

as the water hyacinth is a problem not only in Kenya 

but also globally. 

In order to satisfy the yearly consumption of sanitary 

pads for the 870 000 Kenyan school girls who miss 

out on school during their menstruation, a minimum 

of two percent of the total surface area of water 

hyacinths on Lake Victoria is required to be harvested. 

This indicates that there are more than enough water 

hyacinths to also satisfy older women in poverty 

and eventually those in neighbouring countries. See 

Appendix XII for calculations. 

If continuing with our project, there are still several 

aspects that need further development and research. 

Below follows a summation of these questions: 

The manufacturing process. How can the simple 

methods we used become more efficient? How is 

the cutting and perforation of the sheets to be done? 

Is it possible to make pulp directly out of the fresh 

plants? Can domestic cattle be used as Hollanders? Is 

it possible to also use the leaves in the paper making 

process? 

Alternative materials for the sanitary pad. Are there 

cheaper and better ways of making the fibre paper 

hydrophobic? Can the fibre paper be treated to 

become more flexible? Are there any other materials 

available that would be suitable for the first and fourth 

layer, and still fulfil our project goals? How would the 

construction of the pad change with a more flexible 

material? 

Investigate cultural perceptions of the pad, the 

name Jani and the graphic profile. Do the women 

of Kenya perceive the product in another manner 

than we do? Is the name ‘Jani’ a suitable one, and 

are there any negative associations to it? How is our 

choice of graphic profile and colour looked upon? 

Do they understand the symbols on the wrapping? 

May interviews and focus groups be relevant tools for 

further elaboration? 

Further and more extensive research on harmful 

substances and bacterial growth in our hyacinth 

material. Is there for example a risk of allergies or 

bacterial growth in our pad? 

Detailed cost analysis. What are the material and 

production costs? What are the investment costs? Will 

the price of the sanitary pad be low enough? 

A general systemic look with a larger overview. 

What effects can a production like this have on its 

surroundings? 

Organization. Do the pad and our other ideas need 

some kind of patent or protection? How and by whom 

is it to be produced? 


page 69 of 97

Discussion on Phase II 

After an extensive project there are always subjects 

to discuss. We have divided our reflections into two 

parts, one treating the fulfilment of goals, and the 

other the project work itself. 

Fulfilment of 

Project Aims 

As indicated in ‘Continuation’, it is hard to determine 

whether all of our project aims have been fulfilled with 

our product, as there are aspects that need further 

investigation. This is especially true for the goal with 

an affordable pad, even if the potential for a low cost 

is estimated as high. 

Most of our goals can however be argued for. Firstly, 

the product is designed for women in Kenya as 

a response to a real problem. Secondly, as we have 

envisioned a local production, our product would 

provide an opportunity for employment to parts of the 

Kenyan population. The way our pad is constructed 

enables a simple production process, possible to keep 

environmentally friendly, and which has a relatively 

small need for investments. Additionally the sanitary 

pad is completely biodegradable due to the chosen 

materials. 

One of our main goals in the beginning of the project 

was to control the amount of water hyacinth in Lake 

Victoria. It would later show that the order of our 

goals would shift and that providing cheap menstrual 

protection was to be our main target. When calculating 

on the required amount of water hyacinths to be 

harvested in order to satisfy a yearly consumption of 

pads for Kenyan schoolgirls, it became evident that 

the production would not reduce the amount too 

much. Therefore, the pad must be complemented 

with additional products that claim larger amounts 

or water hyacinth. Such products could be briquettes, 

fibreboards, animal fodder or other paper products. 

This could also be a way to meet the requirement to 

make use of the whole plant, as mentioned in ‘Making 

Use of the Entire Plant’. 


page 70 of 97

The Project Work 

The work in our group has been multidisciplinary 

with both Industrial Design and Industrial Design 

Engineering students. Our collaboration has worked 

out very well and we have been able to learn much 

from each other. Working together in such a large 

group has given us the ability to perform an extensive 

exploration and a thorough product development 

despite the little time we have had for this. Our 

work was more efficient in Phase I, most likely due 

to that we divided our different tasks among us. In 

Phase II, all group members were present in nearly all 

the different stages of our development process and 

taking decisions could sometimes be a rather lengthy 

procedure. 

Our design process has been very different from 

a typical one. Normally, one goes from an idea to 

applying a material and thereafter having a final 

product. In our case, we have instead started with a 

raw material, processed it in different ways to get a new 

material, which then has lead to an idea and thereafter 

a product. This way of structuring our process has 

worked very well, challenging our mindsets and 

developed us as students of industrial design. 

Working with a project on another continent has not 

been as different as one might think. Before we left to 

Kenya, we were worried that we would end up in a 

situation in which we would be telling the locals how 

and what to do. These misgivings were however not 

justified when interacting with the local population. 

One feature that differed from conducting a project in 

Sweden or Norway was that we were not acquainted 

with many of the cultural aspects of Kenya. It took 

more effort and respect in getting to understand the 

Kenyan culture, and even though we felt that we had 

only scraped the surface, this was perhaps enough for 

the first two phases of our project. 

Last of all, this course and project has been both 

challenging and exhausting but first and foremost 

incredibly fun and developing for us to work with. 

We have learned extremely much and hope that our 

project will be realised in order to attack the major 

problems that we have identified. 


page 71 of 97

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and_use_table.xml [2009-04-27] 

Healy, D. L. (2006), International Women’s Health Update. Monash University, Accessed 

from: http://www.med.monash.edu.au/ob-gyn/research/menorr.html [2009-05-16] 

Hutten, I.M. (2007), Handbook of Nonwoven Filter Media, Elsevier 

International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO (2008), Africa Inspires – A Project of the 

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Documents/Brochure_Africa_Inspires_Ethical_Fashion.pdf [2009-04-18] 

Jembe, T., Gichuki, J., C. Lwenya, P. Boera and Bryan Ananda (2008). Rapid Assesment 

of the Availability of Water Hyacinth Echihornia crassipes in Nyanza Gulf of Lake Victoria 

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Mathews, A. (September 1995). Menstruation issues in Bangladesh. Footsteps: No.24 p 

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[2009-05-02] 

Moir, B., Plastina, A. (2008), International Year of Natural Fibers. Cotton: Review of 

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[2009-04-27] 

Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health (2008), Menstrual Cups at the Museum of 

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Muzira, R.N., Amoding, A., Bekunda, M.A (2008), Organic Resource Management in 

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Opar, F.M. (2008), Technical report on the Use of Water Hyacinth for the Production of 

Organic Fertilizer. Prepared for the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute 

–KIRDI 

Opar, F.M. (2008), Technical report on the Use of Water Hyacinth for the Production 

of Hand Made Paper. Prepared for the Kenya Industrial Research and Development 

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page 74 of 97

Appendix I 

Time schedule for Transforming 

100kg of Petiole to Rope 

There are 4 different grades of the rope whereby 

grade A is the thinnest and grade D the thickest. 

Approximately 70-100 petiole are required to produce 

15 meters of Grade D rope whereas the same amount 

of petioles can produce 30 meters of Grade B rope. 

A 100 kilograms of petioles can be transformed into 4 

to 6 ropes of Grade D, each rope being a length of 15 

meters. Thus, a total of 60 to 90 meters of rope can 

be produced. 

Calculations for Salary 

In calculating the hourly salary for the rope-makers, 

the information that was gathered during our 

excursion to Nyakach was used as a basis. A minimum 

and maximum wage was calculated as 100 kilograms 

of petioles can be transformed into 60 to 90 meters 

of rope. 

- Time Schedule and Calculations for Salary 

Activities 

1. Harvesting 

2. Splitting 

3. Spreading out split petioles 

4. Drying 

5. Fetching water 

6. Chemical treatment 

7. Soaking 

8. Drying 

9. Twinin 

10. Trimming 

Time (hours) 

3 

8 

0,5 

7-10 

0,5 

0,75 

1,25 

0,5-1 

(depending on skills) 12-24 

0,5 

100 kgs of petioles to rope Units min. max 

Working time from petiole to rope [h] 25,25 37,25 

Metres of rope produced [m] 60 90 

Cost per meter rope [shillings/m] 3.00 

Working cost per hour [shillings/h] 4,83 10,69 


page 75 of 97

Appendix II - Identified Problems with the Rope-Making Process 

1. Accidents with knife 

Many had cut themselves with the knife when splitting 

the petioles lengthwise. 

2. Time-consuming procedure 

The splitting of the petioles requires a lot of time. 

3. Transportation of petioles 

The split petioles are spread out to dry in an area 

which requires them to walk a distance 10 minutes 

away from where the rope is made. The high water 

content makes them rather heavy to carry. 

4. Collecting the split and dried petioles 

The wind could cause the split petioles that had been 

spread out to move around, making the collection of 

the dried petioles difficult. 

5. Dry hands 

The workers had noticed that the skin on their hands 

had become drier after having worked with making 

ropes. 

6. Fetching water 

The water used to soak the dried petioles with the 

preservative was carried in 20 litre jerikans from the 

lake, making it a heavy part of the process. 


page 76 of 97

Appendix III - Interview with Akello 

Kenya Agricultural Research 

Institute, Kisumu, Kenya 2009-03-23 

The amount of water hyacinths reached its peak in 

1998, covering an area of 17 000 hectares. By 2006, 

the area had reduced to 400 hectares. In the first 

phase of the Lake Victoria Management Programme 

(1997-2005), both biological and physical control of 

the water hyacinths was performed. For the physical 

removal of the plants, the community was provided 

with tools such as pangas and steel rakes. This way 

of controlling the hyacinth was however only small 

scale. There has also been discussion of pathogens 

where fungi were to be introduced to the river banks 

where the weevils are not effective. 

Biological control was seen as a safe and more 

sustainable way of controlling the water hyacinths. 

The people at Kenya Agricultural Research Institute 

were trained by the Australians who had had similar 

problems with the plants. Two species of weevils were 

introduced into the lake: neochetina eichhorniae and 

neochetina bruchii. These species were chosen due to 

their preference for the water hyacinths. Their ability 

of being host specific was further verified through 

testing to ensure that they only ate water hyacinths. 

The weevils reduce the amount of water hyacinths 

through destroying the petioles by eating its inner 

part. The negative aspects of the weevils are that it 

takes time for them to establish themselves and that 

turbulence in the water made it difficult for the weevils 

to reproduce. This, together with the fast reproduction 

of the water hyacinths (the flower has 10 capsules, 

each with up to 300 seeds) required that the weevils 

had to be placed continuously into the lake. 

During the first phase of the Lake Victoria 

Management Programme, approximately 1 million 

weevils were introduced to the lake (in different life 

stages: eggs, larvae). When the funds for the biological 

control began to end, the rearing of the weevils was 

decentralised. Teachers working in schools by the 

beach were trained who in turn taught some pupils to 

rear and place the insects into the lake. 

Due to tides and winds of Lake Victoria, the water 

hyacinths are only present in Kisumu and its 

environments from December to June. From July to 

November, the water hyacinths can only be found 

south of Kisumu in Nyakatch, Homa Bay and Kendu 

Bay. Geographical barriers are the reasons for this. 

The water hyacinths are not only a problem in itself 

but have also supported the growth of the hippo 

grass. This plant is not self-supportive and the water 

hyacinths have given this plant a basis to grow. 


page 77 of 97

Appendix III - Interview with Megan White 

Zana Africa, Nairobi, Kenya 

2009-04-02 

From googling sanitary pads in Kenya we came across 

a fairly new enterprise (2007) called Zana Africa 

(ZanaA), founded by an American called Megan 

White. Luckily we managed to get a meeting with her 

during the short period we had left in Nairobi in the 

end of our stay in Kenya. 

ZanaA is a non-profit and a non-governmental 

organization providing and distributing sanitary pads 

to girls in Kibera (among other places), Nairobi. 

In our meeting with Megan, she listed a lot of 

interesting information, these are some of them: 

- Many school girls in Kenya are poor and can’t afford 

sanitary pads. So when they get their period, they 

stay home from school. 5 days are then missed every 

month. This again leaves them lagging behind. 

- Sex and menstruation are taboo subjects in most 

places. 

- Virginity is very emphasised, the use of tampons is 

therefore not common. 

- “MAKA pads”, an already existing sanitary pad 

business, situated in Uganda, manufactures the 

absorbent in their pad from papyrus. This production 

is quite small scale, but is still able to provide pads at 

a lower price than the competitors. 

- Because of poverty, the pads are seldom bought in 

large numbers, but instead one at a time. The cheapest 

pads in small quantities are sold at 10 Kenyan 

Schillings (KES). The price to strive for is 4 KES; the 

production cost should therefore not exceed 2 KES. 

- The minimum absorption requirements for sanitary 

pads is according to Megan 30 ml (30 cc) 

- A lot of the girls do not “know their own plumbing”, 

education and information is important. 


page 78 of 97

Appendix IV - Potential Uses of the Water Hyacinth 


page 79 of 97

Appendix V - Results from Rope-Strength Testing 


page 80 of 97

Appendix VI 

Grows fast 

Spongy 

Shoe soles, packaging/padding, towel, mattresses, seats, 

filling in cushions, bulletproof jackets, shoulder pads, 

sport-protection (helmets), cooler/hot box 

Insulating 

Energy 

Lightweight 

Pencil casings, bowls, bags, jewellery, airplanes, kites, toys, 

packaging (protection of goods), tie firewood, footwear, 

tablemat, walking stick, indication stick, movable 

furniture, baskets and trays, duvet, tea-cozy, saucepan 

holder, cutlery set, belts 

Durable 

Long-lasting – backpacks, wine rack, fish-baskets, ceiling 

boards, floor, mats/carpets, bedside mat, suitcases, baby 

cot, sisal substitute, chicken cages, building material, 

laundry-baskets, furniture (chairs etc.), door-curtain, 

doormat, beds and pillows, lamp-sheds 

- Brainstorming Session Words from Workshop in Kisumu 

Local Availability 

Jewellery, curtain holder, tiara/crown, head ring, animal 

food, lamp-shed, fertiliser, hats, roofing, seats for bodaboda 

or tuk-tuk, fan-covers, water bottle cover, decoration 

(tablemats, seats, serviette holder), water-holding roots for 

pest control, “beds” for chicken 

Soft 

Fibres 

Cheap 

Biodegradable 

Plates (take-away), diaper, packaging (bags), shoes, 

napkins, shopping bags, flip charts, pocket-files, folders, 

newspaper, book cover, carton-boxes, gift-boxes (for 

jewellery), toilet paper, manure, sanitary napkins 

Smooth 

Strength 

Easy workable 

Nice-looking 

Nice smell 

Soaps, toilet, wick, oil (for lotions and soap), toothpaste, 

dust-mask, decoration (mesh) in front of fans, windows 

and air conditioners, air fresheners, sprays, perfumes, 

honey production 

Whole plant usable 


page 81 of 97

Appendix VII 

The values in our samples: 

[mg/kg] Paper Petioles 

Sb (Antimony)

Appendix VIII 

In this method of evaluating, the requirements of the 

pad were compared to each other in order to weight 

their importance to each other. Each requirement was 

compared to all the others and only one of them could 

be decided upon as more important. The number of 

times that a requirement was seen as more important 

A B C D E F G H I J K L 

A - Affordable A A A A A A A A A A A 

B - Few materials B D B B G H I B K L 

C - Environmental impact C C C G C I C C C 

D - Comfortable D D G D I D K D 

E - Discrete appearance E G H I E K E 

F - Discrete after usage G H I J K L 

G - Fit in panties H I G G G 

H - Minimal maintnance I H H H 

I - Stay in place I I I 

J - No noise K J 

K - Easy to manufacture 

L - Affect panties 

- Pair Comparison Matrix of Pad Requirements 

was summed up and resulted in a ranking list. As 

can be seen below, the criterion of low cost was of 

uttermost importance when compared to the other 

criteria and thereby obtained the highest score in the 

comparison. 

K 

Ranking 

A=11 

I=10 

G=8 

C, H=7 

K, D=6 

B=4 

E=3 

J, L=2 

F=0 


page 83 of 97

Appendix IX 

In this evaluation matrix, different fastening concepts 

were evaluated according to chosen requirements from 

the design criteria. See Appendix XIII for the design 

criteria. If a requirement was met by the concept, it 

got one, two or three points according to how well it 

fulfilled the requirement. If the concept did not meet 

the requirement, it scored zero. After having decided 

Fastening 

concepts 

- Evaluation Matrix of Different Fastening Methods 

upon a score for each requirement for each concept, 

the points from the pair comparison were inserted 

in order to get more accurate scores. The points for 

each requirement were multiplied with the points for 

a concept’s fulfilment of it and thereafter all the scores 

for one concept was added. The criteria of low cost 

and of maintenance were divided in three columns, 

one for a disposable concept, one for a semi disposable 

concept and one for a semi reusable concept. Thus, in 

the final calculations of the total score, all fastening 

concepts got three different scores depending on the 

intended period of usage. 

Requirements Score 

results 

A B C D E F G H I J K L 

D S R D S R D S R 

Glue 2 3 3 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 0 0 3 3 2 3 16 15 15 

Friction I 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 1 3 3 1 0 1 3 2 2 16,5 15 14,5 

Friction II (added material) 0 1 3 1 3 2 3 1 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 2 12,5 13,4 13 

Clips I (added material) 0 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 2 2 3 2 11 12 14,5 

Clips II (integrated in material) 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 2 0 3 2 0 2 1 3 3 14 13,5 12 

Bikini wrap 0 1 3 1 2 2 2 1 1 3 2 1 2 3 2 3 10 10,5 13 

String 2 3 3 2 3 2 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 15 15,5 15,5 

Holes 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 15,5 15,5 15,5 

Folding wings 2 3 3 2 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 16 17 17 

Button 0 1 3 1 2 2 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 14 15 17,5 


page 84 of 97

Appendix X 

To accompany the mock-up test with an analytic 

ranking, five criteria were regarded as most important 

to compare. Four of them were part of a previous 

evaluation but the criterion “easy to handle” was new. 

This criterion was not part of the pair comparison 

that was performed in the initial evaluation of the ten 

fastening methods. It arose during the mock-up test 

of the string method and was after discussion given 

five points. 

- Evaluation Matrix Between Glue and String Concept 

Glue Strings 

Affordable 11* 1 2 

Stay in place 10* 3 2 

Environmental impact 7* 1 2 

Easy to manufacture 6* 3 1 

Easy to handle 5* 3 1 

TOTAL SCORE 81 57 


page 85 of 97

Appendix XI 

The five different mock-ups were evaluated in the same 

way as the initial evaluation of the fastening methods 

with both pair comparison and evaluation matrix. 

See Appendix VIII and Appendix IX for procedure. 

As with the evaluation of fastening methods, each 

concept was given zero to three points depending on 

how well it fulfilled each criterion. 

- Evaluation Matrix for Mock-ups 

A B C D E F G H 

A - Affordable A A A A A A A 

B - Prevent leakage B B B B B B 

C - Minimal usage of material D C C G H 

D - Comfortable D D D H 

E - Discrete appearance E G H 

F - Easy to change G H 

G - Easy to manufacture 

H - Little noise 

A 

7 

* 

B 

6 

* 

C 

2 

* 

D 

4 

* 

E 

1 

* 

F 

0 

* 

G 

3 

* 

H 

H 

5 

* 

Ranking 

A=7 

B=6 

H=5 

D=4 

G=3 

C=2 

E=1 

F=0 

Score 

results 

Mock-up one 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 1 67 6,5 

Mock-up two 3 3 3 3 1 2 3 1 72 7 

Mock-up three 1 2 1 2 2 3 1 1 39 4 

Mock-up four 1 2 3 2 2 3 2 1 46 4,5 

Mock-up five 2 3 1 3 1 2 2 1 58 6 


page 86 of 97

Appendix XII 

Water hyacinth composition percentage 2 % 

C P Petioles 43.78 

C L Leaves 17.68 

C R Roots 38.54 

The weight of the different parts of the plant, both 

fresh and dry, were sought for in order to see how 

many kilograms of each part could be obtained from 

one square meter of water hyacinths. Due to the 

variation of the areal density of the plant, a minimum 

and maximum weight was calculated. This was done 

with the following equations: 

Wet Weight: 

W P = ∂ * C P 

Dry weight: 

W P = ∂ * C P * 0.05 

- Calculations for Feasibility 

Weight of water 

hyacinth 

Units wet weight dry weight 3 

min max min max 

∂ Areal density 1 [kg/m 2 ] 40.00 170.00 2.00 8.50 

W P Weight of petioles per [kg/m 2 ] 17.51 74.43 0.88 3.72 

W L Weight of leaves per [kg/m 2 ] 7.07 30.06 0.35 1.50 

W R Weight of roots per [kg/m 2 ] 15.42 65.52 0.77 3.28 

W PL Weight of petioles and leaves [kg/m 2 ] 24.58 104.48 1.23 5.22 

After having weighed the Jani-pad, the number of pads 

that would be able to be made from one square metre 

could be calculated. The calculations were done with 

the dry weight of the water hyacinth, as it is only the 

solid matter of the plant that can be turned into paper. 

Number of pads to be obtained from petioles per square 

meter 

N pad1 = W P / W pad 

Number of pads to be obtained from petioles and leaves 

per square meter 

N pad2 = W PL / W pad 


page 87 of 97

Number of Jani pads Units min max 

W pad Weight per pad [kg/pad] 0.0020 

N pad1 No. of pads per (only petioles) [no./m 2 ] 437.80 1 860.65 

N pad2 No. of pads per (petioles and leaves) [no./m 2 ] 614.60 2 612.05 

To find out how much of the total surface area of 

water hyacinths that needs to be harvested each year 

to provide pads to the Kenyan schoolgirls who cannot 

afford conventional pads, the following calculations 

were performed. It was estimated that during the four 

days that schoolgirls miss out on school, they would 

make use of approximately three pads per day. 

Required no. of pads per year 

T pads = 870 000 * 3 * 4 * 12 

Area required to be harvested each month 

A Harvest = T pads / N pad1 

Percentage of area required to be harvested of the 

estimated water hyacinth area in Nyanza Gulf 

A = A Harvest / A Nyanza 

Total surface area to harvest Units min max 

Kenyan schoolgirls lacking pads each month 4 870 000 

T pads Required no. of pads per year 125 280 000 

A Nyanza Estimated water hyacinth area in Nyanza gulf 5 [m 2 ] 14 014 630 

A Harvest Area required to be harvested each year [m 2 ] 286 158.06 67 331.31 

A Percentage of water hyacinth area 0.0204185 0.0048044 

1 Muzira et al (2008) 

2 Bader et al (2007) 

3 MDG Centre Nairobi Environmental Team and 

MCI (2009) 

4 Megan White (2009) 

5 Jembe et al (2008) 


page 88 of 97

Appendix XIII 

Absolute Design 

Criteria 

1st layer 

Allow menstrual fluids 

to penetrate the layer 

Attach to the bottom 

layer 

Goal 

measurements 

Comments 

Low absorption In order to provide a dry 

surface, comfort 

Soft and smooth For the comfort 

Very flexible 

Keep fibrous layers in 

place 

2nd layer 

Absorb fluid quickly E.g. by providing a large 

absorption area 

Lead fluid to the next 

layer 

Centre absorption In order to prevent 

leakage sideways 

Flexible 

- Design Criteria for the Sanitary Pad 

3rd layer 

Absorb menstrual fluid The amount of menstrual 

flow varies between women 

but normally it is about 

30 to 40 ml per period 

(Healy, 2006). According 

to Megan White one 

sanitary pad should be able 

to absorb 30 ml. 

Retain menstrual fluid 

(except when under 

pressure) 

Distribute the fluid 

4th layer 

If the menstrual flow 

is 80 ml or more the 

menstruation is regarded 

as heavy (Healy, 2006). 

Hydrophobic To protect clothes 

Keep fibrous layers in 

place 

Attach to the top layer 

Very flexible 

continues... 

Black = Important 

Grey = Negotiable 


page 89 of 97

The whole pad 

Affordable Maximum price of 4 

KES (White, 2009). A 

price of 20 KES for a 

pack of 10 pads would 

be affordable for most 

girls (Awuor, 2009) 

Have a shape that 

prevents leakage 

Wings? 

Fit in panties Most girls have some 

kind of underwear, even 

if it may be home sewn 

of tattered clothes. If a 

girl only has one pair she 

might be forced to go 

without for a day when 

they are drying after the 

washing (Awuor, 2009). 

Most panties are made 

of cotton (Prick, 2009). 

Stay in place Not move more than 2 

cm forth or backwards. 

Sideways the goal is 0,5 

cm at most. 

Easy to keep hygienic With no water available 

for example 

Biodegradable and/or 

reusable 

A lot of girls throw the 

pads in the pit latrine 

since burning blood is 

connected to infertility 

(Awuor, 2009) 

Easy to manufacture No need for too 

expensive machines. Not 

too much time spent on 

each pad 

Minimal usage of 

material during 

production 

Size adapted for the 

female body 

No skin irritating 

substances in direct 

contact with skin 

Easy to change 

Soft For comfort 



Both concerning the pad 

itself and the generation 

of material leftovers 

For comfort. Have 

different sizes? Be 

adjustable? Young 

girls prefer thin pads 

with wings while older 

women prefer long and 

thick pads (Prick, 2009). 


page 90 of 97

Desired Design 

Criteria 

Discrete appearance 

during use 

Goal 

measurements 

Comments 

Menstruation is a taboo 

in most places according 

to Megan White. 

According to Awuor 

(2009), fathers are not 

supposed to know when 

their daughters are 

menstruating. 

Breathable To prevent fungal 

infection, especially in the 

warm climate of Kenya 

No noise 

No odour 

Discrete appearance 

after use 

Possible to use without 

panties 

See the comment from 

‘Discrete appearance 

during use’ 

Since some girls and 

women may not own 

any underwear 




page 91 of 97

Appendix XIV 

Absolute Design 

Criteria 

Goal 

measurements 

Comments 

Cheap As the product should be 

affordable 

Biodegradable 

Environmentally 

friendly materials 

Protect the pad against 

dust and dirt 

Simple manufacturing 

process 

Simple machines, low 

price 

Easy assembly Short time for the 

workers 

Allow selling of single 

pads 

Water resistant for a 

short time 

Resist slightly increased 

air moisture 

Simple to handle for the 

customer 

Intuitive 

Space efficient For easy storage and to 

minimise transport costs 

- Design Criteria for the Package 

Material efficient As little material as 

possible, for the price 

and environment 

Communicate the price So that no salesman tries 

to sell it for a higher price 

Communicate the 

handling 

Communicate the 

product name, logo 

Communicate product 

type 

Communicate core 

values 

Desired Design 

Criteria 

Reusable, have a “second 

life” 



Goal 

measurements 

Storage, usage, disposal 

Or should it be more 

discreet? 

Clean, environmentally 

friendly, natural, discreet, 

simple, soft, friendly, 

proud, freedom, light, 

“for all girls and women”, 

reliable, trust, modern? 

Comments 

Since the target group is 

poor it would be beneficial 

if the packaging could be 

used as something else 

once the pads is used 


page 92 of 97

Appendix XV - Tree of Materials for Different Layers of the Sanitary Pad 


page 93 of 97

Appendix XVI 

Kenya 

Akello – Kenya Agricultural Research 

Institute (KARI) 

The Kenya Agricultural Research Institute is an 

institution that brings together research programmes 

in food crops, horticultural and industrial crops, 

livestock and range management, land and water 

management, and socio-economics (KARI, 2009). 

The organization has been involved in the water 

hyacinth control in the first phase of the Lake Victoria 

Management Programme. 

Evance Odhiambo - Zingira 

Zingira is a community-based organisation coordinating 

and training local artisans to produce handicraft 

products made from recycled and local materials. One 

of the local resources that they are using is the water 

hyacinth. Of this plant they make furniture, paper, 

baskets, bags and lampshades. The products are sold 

both locally and abroad. Evance Odhiambo is the 

founder of the project and works with and trains other 

in creating handicrafts (Zingira Nyanza Community 

Crafts, 2009). 

- Contact Persons 

Mathew O. Ondiek – Practical Action 

Practical Action is a development charity aiming 

to alleviate poverty with technology. They work 

directly in four regions of the developing world: Latin 

America, East Africa, Southern Africa, and South Asia 


Jennipher A. Kere – WIFIP Education 

& Development 

The Woman in Fishing Industry Project is a nonprofit 

organisation based in Kisumu aiming to 

empower women in the Lake Victoria basin (WIFIP, 

2005). One of the intentions of the organisation is to 

promote the use of water hyacinth as a material in a 

range of commercial products (Opar, 2008). 

Edith Kerubo – Wafts and Crafts 

Wafts and Crafts work with house interior design and 

produces house accessories and furniture out of water 

hyacinths. Edith Kerubo works as an entrepreneur, 

providing capital and managing the business. She 

works with various artisans in order to make her 

products (Raphael A. Kapiyo, 2009). 

Margaret – Pendeza Weaving 

Pendeza Weaving produces textile products, spinning 

handmade thread and weaving it into material. The 

thread is spun from Kenyan cotton grown at some of 

the neighbouring farms (International Trade Centre, 

2008). Most of the products are made of cotton but 

they also use other natural fibres such as banana fibres. 

In addition, they have experimented with ropes made 

of water hyacinth. However, due to the high price 

of the ropes, it has not been seen as economically 

justifiable to use. 

Carol Awuor 

Caroline is a disabled woman who has created a small 

business of making products out of water hyacinths 

and papyrus plants. She has trained other disabled 

people and taught them to be self-employed. Her 

products are sold locally, regionally and abroad 

(Raphael A. Kapiyo, 2009). 

Mr. Matano – Lake Victoria Basin 

Commision 

The Lake Victoria Basin Commission, LVBC, based 

in Kisumu, is an institution of the East African 

Community, EAC. It has been mandated with overall 

coordination for sustainable development of the Lake 

Victoria Basin. 


page 94 of 97

Megan White – CEO of ZanaA, Tools 

for Transformation 

ZanaA is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation 

aiming to empower people by developing 

simple enterprise solutions. Their National Sanitary 

Pads Solution Program is developing and distributing 

sanitary pads to girls in Kenya (Zana A, 2009). 

Elphas Ojiambo – Lake Victoria 

Initiative, Swedish Embassy 

The Lake Victoria Initiave, LVI, is based at the Swedish 

Embassy in Nairobi and aims to achieve poverty 

reduction through sustainable development of the 

regions around the lake. Elphas Ojiambo is the Regional 

Programme Officer of the LVI, which is complementary 

to bilateral Swedish support in the Lake Victoria region. 

LVI mainly supports regional institutions such as EAC 

and LVBC but also to regional civil society organisations 

and Swedish non-governmental organisations (Embassy 

of Sweden in Nairobi, 2009). 

Dr. John Gichuki – Kenya Marine 

Fisheries Research Institute 

The Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute, 

KMFRI, is mandated by the Kenyan government 

to conduct aquatic research of all the Kenya waters 

(KMFRI, 2008). KMFRI was contracted by WIFIP 

to assess the availability of the Nyanza Gulf in order 

to help in planning for the commercialisation of the 

raw material (Feasibility Studies Workshop). 

Millicent Olol – Hyacinth Crafts 

Hyacinth Crafts is a business making paper, furniture 

and household items out of water hyacinths. Millicent 

Olol manages the business by cooperating with artisans 

and craftsmen, and their products are exported as well 

as sold locally (Raphael A. Kapiyo, 2009). 

Michael Odhiambo Otieno – Takawiri 

Creations 

Michael Odhiambo Otieno works for Hyacinth Crafts 

and has recently started his own company in which he 

creates products by recycling waste. 

Sweden 

Eje Österdahl – SCA 

Eje Österdahl works as Fellow Scientist at the research 

and development department at SCA Hygiene. SCA 

is a Sweden-based global company that offers personal 

care products, tissue, packaging, publication papers, 

and solid-wood products in more than 90 countries. 

Bertil Mark – Kvarnbys 

Handpappersbruk 

Bertil Mark has for many years worked as Chemical 

Engineer at EKA Chemicals. He is now retired and 

is a driving force behind the non-profit organization 

Kvarnbyns Handpappersbruk that work to keep the 

tradition of making paper by hand alive. 

Bengt Hagström – Swerea IVF 

Bengt Hagström works as researcher at Swerea IVF 

which business concept is to initiate, perform and 

transform research and development to growth within 

the manufacturing industry. 

Antal Boldizar – Chalmers 

Antal Boldizar works as Asssistant Professor at the 

department of Polymeric materials and composites at 

Chalmers. 

Mikael Gällstedt – Innventia 

Innventia is an R&D company working within the 

fields of pulp, paper, graphic media, packaging and 

bio refining. 

Arne Andersson and Ebbe Lyrmalm 

– Akzo Nobel 

Akzo Nobel is a multinational company working 

within the fields of decorative paints, performance 

coatings and speciality chemicals. Arne Andersson 

and Ebbe Lyrmalm have given us input on the sizing 

agent AKD. 

Hans Theliander - Chalmers 

Hans Theliander is a Professor of Forest Products and 

Chemical Engineering at Chalmers. He has a great 

knowledge in pulp and papermaking and has advised 

us on issues concerning the papermaking process. 


page 95 of 97

Appendix XVII - Pattern for Perforation 


page 96 of 97

NEW SENSE 

IN NUISANCE 

Reality Studio, spring ‘09 

Karin Lidman, Sophie Thornander, Marc Hoogendijk, 

Lars Marcus Vedeler, Kristin Tobiassen

New Sense in Nuisance - JaniPad

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