Break The Taboo in 2022: A message from PridePads Ambassador Michele Tchindje

Break The Taboo in 2022: 

Menstruation. Education. De-Stigmatization.

A message from PridePads Ambassador Michele Tchindje, 

Miss Africa USA 2023 Contestant:

Every woman deserves a chance. 

I was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, as the youngest child of a big family. At the age of nine, I, along with my mother and siblings, were preparing for what I thought would only be a trip to the United States of America. Certainly, the longest trip I have ever taken became my new life in America. As one can imagine, adjusting to a new world within a two-week notice can be a challenge–even more so with a vocabulary only containing five English words. 

I will forever be thankful for this opportunity and challenge into a new world, as it allowed for doors to open beyond what nine-year old me could have ever imagined. This opportunity also serves as a reminder for me, Michele Tchindje, to give back to the world that I am a product of: our girls and women in Africa. 

That is why I am honored to serve as an ambassador for PridePads Africa. PridePads drew my curiosity through its advocacy for humanity by educating about the menstrual cycle, and through innovation by creating affordable, biodegradable menstrual products. My passion to serve through menstrual education also stems from the fact that the topic was seldom mentioned while living in Cameroon. 

As I compete in the finals for Miss Africa USA 2023, I am honored to be representing my platform: menstrual education. I chose this platform because it is a topic which not only was never discussed while growing up in Cameroon, but is seldom addressed to this day. In order to empower our communities, we must empower our girls and women, and in order to empower our girls and women, we must have a society which is educated and de-stigmatized when it comes to menstruation. 

Please join me in supporting this important cause and consider making a generous gift to PridePads Africa that will last a lifetime for countless girls this holiday season.