Five hearing-impaired secondary schoolgirls from Government Secondary School, Kuje, Abuja, have emerged as global finalists at the 2026 Technovation Girls World Summit in Bengaluru, India, with an artificial intelligence-powered application designed to improve access to menstrual products.
The Technology Beyond Disability Initiative disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, saying the team, known as the STRIM Girls, presented their innovation, Saving Pad, after competing against thousands of teams from more than 160 countries.
The team comprises Adegbile Teniola Vivian, Sulaiman Maryam Adenike Isah, Moses Joy, Ukpapi Theresa Uzepi and Yusuf Ruth. The girls were mentored by the initiative.
They developed Saving Pad to help students locate nearby sanitary pad banks, request menstrual products and access menstrual health education, particularly addressing challenges faced by deaf girls and students with disabilities.
Explaining the motivation behind the innovation, the girls said, “Because when a girl’s period starts, the question should never be: ‘What am I going to do?’ It should be: ‘I know where to go.’”
The application features an interactive map for locating pad banks, a request system, period tracking and menstrual health education. It also enables coordinators to monitor supplies and receive alerts when stocks run low.
In partnership with the Deaf Women Aloud Initiative, the team has launched a pilot programme across three special schools in Abuja, with plans to expand to primary healthcare centres and vulnerable communities nationwide.
The platform is also designed to help non-governmental organisations and donor agencies track product distribution, monitor demand and coordinate the restocking of sanitary pad banks.
At the global summit, the girls demonstrated how accessible technology and community-based support could help address menstrual health challenges while advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on good health and well-being, quality education, and partnerships.
On their return to Nigeria, the girls were welcomed at the airport by the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, alongside members of her management team.
