Social work major Kate Taylor was one of the eight members of HERS (Hygiene, Empowerment, and Research for Social Impact). HERS is an interdisciplinary team of students and faculty that developed an easily replicated, low-cost and compact machine that produces customizable menstrual pads on site, to meet immediate needs during humanitarian crises.
The HERS team started the project in May 2018. They spent this past summer in Beirut, where they partnered with the Lebanese Red Cross. Team members sourced local materials to create a machine that was left in Lebanon for further testing. They also developed a local procurement model for the menstrual pads materials. To test the project viability, the team conducted surveys and focus groups to customize the menstrual pads for displaced Syrians living in an informal tent settlement.