ENDING PERIOD POVERTY
The MENstruation Foundation is a non-profit company striving to eliminate period poverty in South Africa and beyond. We began with one goal: stop girls from missing school simply because of their period. Our pad dispensers offer free, dignified access to menstrual care.
No stigma. No shame. No missed opportunity. We won’t stop until every female has access to free Sanitary Pads.
The Team
Operations
Co-founder & Director of MENstruation Foundation, Entrepreneur, Pad Dad & Sports Coach.
Marius Basson
Marketing & Advertising
Co-founder & Director of MENstruation Foundation, Actor, MC, Influencer & so much more.
Siv Ngesi
Motivational Speaker & Coaching
Director of MENstruation Foundation, Women's Springbok Rugby Captain & Influencer
Babalwa Latsha
MARKETING EXPERT
Director of MENstruation Foundation, Entrepreneur, Female Empowerment Advocate & Adventurer.
Mpakie Hude
Creative & Design
Director of MENstruation Foundation, Designer, Imaginator & Wanderlust Enthusiast.
Linda Thom
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
COO of MENstruation Foundation, Entrepreneur, Avid Runner, Fashion Junkie.
Lerisha Mudaliar
OUR CORE VALUES
HOW IT STARTED
Siv and Marius met at a wedding back in 2012 — bro love at first sight. In 2018, when Marius’s daughter Katelyn turned 8, he called Siv and said, “We need to start a Foundation for the girl child.” Faster than Cheslin Kolbe takes a gap, Siv said he was in — they were going to fight period poverty.
After months of planning and furious scrums, the MENstruation Foundation was born. They believed there’s a reason MEN is in menstruation and MAN in humanity.
Fighting for the ball in every loose ruck, they designed the Sanitary Pad Dispensing Machine Project — units installed in girls’ bathrooms to provide a free pack of high-quality pads every month, in a dignified, sustainable way.
As the mission grew, they realised the only way to truly end period poverty was to open their own pad factory. In July 2025, with help from friends and family, it became a reality.
That’s how the Agojie Pad was born — inspired by The Woman King and the real-life Agojie Warriors: an all-women army who protected their people with pride.
“We will not stop until there is no period poverty in South Africa.”
In loving memory of Jacqueline and Marlene — the mothers who made us the men we are today.