Homa Bay County has launched the Galentine Care Sanitary Pad Factory, a women-led initiative in Suba North, to combat period poverty, reduce school absenteeism, and create jobs. The factory, officially inaugurated by Governor Gladys Wanga, will produce locally made sanitary pads at prices up to 60 per cent lower than market rates.

• Packs will retail from as low as Sh50, with part of the production donated to schools.
• The project aims to keep girls in school, especially given Homa Bay's high teenage pregnancy rates, which saw over 17,000 teenage girls become pregnant in 2024.
• Galentine Care CEO, Peter Macodida, noted that 97 per cent of women in Homa Bay could afford pads priced at Sh50.
• The company plans to grow its workforce from 17 women to over 200 within three years and reach over 430,000 women by 2028.