About DesTAsh

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My name is Nishan Tesfaye. I am a Respiratory Care Practitioner, a loving wife, and a proud mother of two beautiful girls. I have been working in the medical field for over 18 years, and it has taught me about compassion and the importance of healing the sick. I desire to do more in my community. As a proud Ethiopian woman, I wanted to start a project to help women in my country with respect to everyday necessities. I understand the need for female hygiene and the importance of discretion regarding menstruation. The thought of, or even appearing as, bleeding accidentally can make women feel shame and wish to hide immediately. I have witnessed young women stay home while they are on their period and not attend school because they cannot afford sanitary pads. I started DesTAsh, a project with the mission to help these women and provide all Ethiopian women with affordable, clean, and appropriate sanitary products. 

I started sewing reusable sanitary pads to send to Ethiopia. The women who received them were extremely grateful and were able to continue their daily routines without feeling shame because they had the security. After hearing feedback from those women, I realized the demand and success of my goal. I continued my hobby of sewing, feeling complete joy and fulfillment in knowing I’m making a difference in these women's lives. DesTAsh was named after the Amharic word (ደስታሽ) “your happiness”. The upper casing of “TA” recognizes my father who was a tailor. My father was a humble, passionate, and most of all, hard-working man. He always pushed me to pursue my dreams and to help others along the way. He is my inspiration to make a difference in people's lives. DesTAsh is helping women by allowing them to attend school, work, and continue their daily routines in pursuit of their dreams. 

DesTAsh is sustainable, eco-friendly, and beautiful in design. I have been financing my project myself and with donations from friends and family who share my passion. All materials used are natural cotton fabric, free of harsh chemicals. The pads are interchangeable and can last 4-5 hours during the day. If taken care of appropriately, DesTAsh sanitary pads can last 2-3 years. DesTAsh sanitary pads come in different sizes and have leak protection. Each product comes with a pad wrap and instruction manual. 

Sizes available: 

• 8” for light absorption 
• 10” for light to moderate absorption 
• 12” for moderate to heavy absorption 
• 14” for heavy absorption 

My hope is to further support women by creating job opportunities in their communities. Women who are interested in working with DesTAsh will be trained on how to sew and make pads. All proceeds go into purchasing the materials to make these sanitary pads. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.