Swooping Tūī is a brand new initiative designed to provide menstrual cups to people of lower socio-economic backgrounds in and outside of Aotearoa, through selling natural moisturising creams. Critic Te Arohi sat down with Mahina Walle, the second-year ecology student who started the initiative, to learn more.
The idea came about when Mahina did a school project back in 2018. She was looking at some of the issues faced by menstruators in developing countries, specifically access to schooling. “It really shocked me how much education people miss out on [when they are on their period],” said Mahina. Meanwhile, “around that time I started finding out about reusable menstrual products and the environmental impact of disposable menstrual products.” The next step was natural for Mahina. “Everything is interconnected, and if we want to understand the full effects of certain issues and how to solve them, we can't think of the problems in isolation. By looking at these problems together we can think of comprehensive solutions,” said Mahina. “Reusable menstrual products help menstruators and the environment so they make the most sense.”
Swooping Tūī has had a successful start. Mahina has been to three markets to sell her moisturising creams and they are currently stocked at Te Oraka (the student-run thrift store at the old Unipol weights room on Anzac Ave). So far, Mahina has made enough money to donate 36 menstrual products. Mahina plans to continue with the initiative for the foreseeable future and see how it expands. “Obviously it's something I’m really passionate about and would like to see grow,” she said. For the meantime, Mahina plans to keep it relatively small-scale, seeing as “it’s just me doing all of the work, making the creams and reaching out to people.”
Mahina has around 13 years of experience making moisturising creams. She started at seven years old, when she found a recipe for them on the back of beeswax wrapper at a local market. What began as cute gifts for family members has turned into a successful fundraiser. Mahina now makes the moisturising creams at the Kaikorai Rugby Football Club, which allows her to use their kitchen for free.
Mahina donates all profits gained from selling her creams to supply people with menstrual cups where they are most needed. Wā Collective and AWWA are organisations which provide menstruators in Aotearoa with menstrual products and period underwear respectively. Mahina also donates to Ruby Cup, a social enterprise which distributes menstrual cups to 26 countries throughout Africa and Asia. Ruby cups do not need to be regularly sterilised and they can last up to ten years.
Globally, 88% of menstruators do not have access to sanitary products. Many people in developing countries do not go to school when they have their period, primarily due to the heavy costs of sanitary products and the lack of clean places to change them. “You hear of stories of people having to make the decision between food or menstrual products because they’re so expensive,” said Mahina. Menstrual cups can cost as much as $60, which is not a feasible reality for many, especially those living on one or two dollars a day.
A core focus for Mahina was the environmental impact of sanitary products. “Billions of pads and tampons are disposed of each year. In comparison, a single menstrual cup can prevent more than 30kg of menstrual product waste in its lifetime,” said Mahina. Mahina also extends her environmental focus to her moisturising creams. The creams are made out of all natural ingredients, including, “locally sourced NZ beeswax, organic shea butter, organic coconut oil, sunflower oil, vitamin E oil and essential oils.” The glass jars used to store the creams can also be returned for a discount.
You can find Swooping Tūī on Facebook or reach out to Mahina via email here.