PHA

SOS MENHEMA

Executive Summary

Mission and Objectives

Public Health en Afrique (PHA) aims to address critical health issues across Africa through a multi-faceted approach focusing on maternal and child health, ethics, environmental health, and mental health. 

The organisation’s objectives include raising awareness about public health challenges, empowering communities with knowledge and resources, and fostering collaborations among health professionals and organisations.

Social Problem Addressed

PHA addresses significant public health issues that disproportionately affect populations in Africa, including high maternal and child mortality rates, environmental health hazards, and the stigma surrounding mental health. 

Menstrual hygiene management is a significant public health issue globally. It still faces cultural, religious, and social barriers in many low and middle-income countries. Public Health en Afrique aims to deliver menstrual hygiene products that are more sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly to women and girls in South Africa. The menstrual hygiene program will be delivered in secondary schools as a primary prevention program that will indirectly address gender inequality, environmental sustainability, mental health, social inclusion, and health equity. 

The organisation recognises that these challenges are interconnected and require comprehensive and culturally sensitive approaches to create meaningful change.

Support our Projects
Project Hope Workshops
Kgetsi Ya Tsi Project

PHA aims to provide a range of solutions, including:

  • Online mental health education programs to raise awareness and reduce stigma.
  • Collaborations with startup NGOs and established organisations to broaden the reach of public health initiatives.
  • Target women and school-aged girls to raise awareness about the links between reproductive health and menstrual hygiene.
  • Target school principals and staff to increase their knowledge of menstrual hygiene among students and their families
  • Collaborate with community leaders to develop health in-language resources that may be distributed within their local communities.
  • Distribute menstrual hygiene products to secondary school girls
  • Educate the girls on how to use and clean the products
  • Advocate for sexual health education in secondary schools

Impact

Improvement on Existing Efforts

PHA enhances existing public health initiatives by focusing on community engagement and education in a way that many organisations may overlook. PHA emphasises capacity building at the grassroots level, mainly through its educational programs tailored to the African context.

PHA’s approach is systemic because it tackles health issues holistically, recognising the interplay between different sectors, such as environmental health and mental well-being. Integrating various health disciplines and a commitment to empowering local communities sets PHA apart from more traditional health organisations that may focus narrowly on one area.

PHA has successfully launched educational initiatives, hosted webinars, and organised community outreach events. The organisation plans to measure outcomes through:

  • Surveys and feedback from SOS MENHEMA sustainable menstrual hygiene program participants in remote South Africa.
  • Tracking attendance and engagement levels in workshops and webinars.
  • Evaluating the impact of the SOS MENHEMA sustainable menstrual hygiene program through project feedback from participants.

Scale

PHA plans to scale its efforts by expanding its outreach beyond the current geographical focus, increasing partnerships with local organisations, and enhancing its online presence. By establishing a robust alum network, PHA can foster a community of advocates who will contribute to long-term sustainability and outreach efforts.

The vision for the next 3–5 years is to expand PHA’s operations and presence across Africa. We want to build up the team by adding more paid, ongoing staff, which means more project coordinators, portfolio managers, volunteers, and interns from multiple African countries. The goal is to have PHA programs running in at least four countries (South Africa, Nigeria, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe) by the next 3 years.

Primary Sources of Income

To sustain its work over time, PHA will explore multiple income streams, including:

  • Grants from philanthropic organisations focused on health and education.
  • Collaborations and sponsorships with businesses and startups that align with its mission.
  • Donations and fundraising campaigns are aimed at individual supporters and communities invested in public health improvement.