Blandine Umuziranenge – Founder and CEO – Kosmotive
Our vision is to see a world where every girl and every woman has access to reproductive health information and access to sustainable menstrual hygiene products and where every parent has access to maternal and child health information, and access to healthcare services
2022 WE Empower Finalist, Sub-Saharan Africa
Blandine Umuziranenge is the founder and CEO of Kosmotive, a social enterprise in Rwanda that improves public health by providing access to menstrual, maternal, and child health information and products. Kosmotive menstrual pads are cost-effective, toxic-free, and recyclable after usage. Umuziranenge holds a postgraduate certificate in Social Innovation Management from Amani Institute, a bachelor’s degree in Business Information and Communication Technology from Mount Kenya University, and an advanced diploma in Information Technology. She has 10 years of experience in information technology, leadership development, social entrepreneurship, digital security, photojournalism, and many more.
Aligning with UN SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, UN SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, UN SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, Kosmotive’s goals “include the provision of access to menstrual, maternal and child health information and products.” Kosmotive offers more resources to those who do not have access to healthcare through their Cosmos Magazine, KosmoHealth App and Helpline.
Good Health and Well-being
Kosmotive supports good health and well-being by giving women sustainable menstrual hygiene products as well as generating income from improving other women’s health. So far, Kosmotive has improved the health of 120,760 women.
Decent Work and Economic Growth & Responsible Consumption and Production
Kosmotive has created 27 jobs in their manufacturing plant which has helped people and the company financially. Kosmotive uses non-toxic materials to produce their Kosmopads. Kosmotive distributes affordable pads to young girls and women who cannot afford the sanitary pads available on the market. This allows girls not to miss school when they have their periods.
Kosmotive conducts its activity with a firm commitment to contribute to sustainability from an environmental perspective, materialized through the integration of the environment into the business, the promotion of environmental responsibility, preservation of biodiversity, prevention of pollution, efficient management of resources and adaptation and mitigation of climate change.
The WE Empower UN SDG Challenge is a first-of-its-kind global competition for women entrepreneurs who are pushing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and leading innovation in sustainability and climate change through their businesses. This Contributing Series highlights finalists of the Challenge whose work demonstrates how business models and social entrepreneurship can drive global impact.
by Fahima Ali