tamara magwashu used to miss school for more than a week when she was on her period.eriod products to the poorest schools in south africa. i made a choice deep within me that i don't want to see anyone go through what i went through. i was very, very bullied at school because i used to get my period at school. to an extent, having blood was i menstruating too early for my other peers. tamara is not alone. it is estimated around 30% of girls in south africa do not attend school because they don't have access to sanitary products. this is thought to be because of 7 million south african girls cannot afford tampons or pads, which is really setting them back in their education, something tamara is trying to change. when i set up this business, i didn't think that within two years of me operating, people would believe in what i do strongly enough to nominate me for forbes so when that happened, it was that confirmation that i'm doing something right and i was called to do this. it's my calling, it's my destiny, and it's my purpose in life because then it encourages more pe

tamara magwashu grew up in a shanty town in the eastern cape province of south africa and was bulliedbusiness, delivering free pads to hundreds of schools in the country to ensure no girl goes through what she did. tamara has been nominated by her community for forbes 30 under 30. gem 0'reilly has spoken to her. this is our living room. this is our couch and this is where we cook and this is where i sleep. i want to tell you something which will shock you. i'm 27 years today and all the 27 years of my life, i've lived in a shack and i never had any windows, never had any water, never had any basic needs. one of two taps that we had and they're not working, as usual. tamara grew up in eastern cape in south africa. when she started puberty, her single mother had to choose between buying food or sanitary products. when i started my period, it was a very difficult time for me because i grew up watching my mum using rags, like old rags or clothes as a pad, so by the time i got onto my period i had to learn how to fold an old cloth — you take an old cloth, you wash it, you cut it up really