. Our Story

CONNECTION IS KEY

We connect people to their bodies and the land,
creating healthy systems for us all to thrive in.
Why?
Because when we are disconnected, things like this happen...

Olie Body TED Talk

FINDING OUR PURPOSE

Conception

Our story starts with Olie, who at 19 moved from New Zealand to Northern India. It was her, her toothbrush and a bunch of reusable Days For Girls cloth pad kits. A systems thinker from early on, she went with the mission of helping to solve problems, rather than creating more while doing so.
Linking up with the local nurse, Knishu, together they provided menstrual education and delivered the bright reusable menstrual kits to the local school girls. Girls who had tears in their eyes when they realised that this would mean for them.

more on this in Olie's TEDx Talk

Full Cycle

At 22, back in Aotearoa New Zealand, Olie began to question the system here. In November 2016, through conducting the first research of its type in NZ, she found out both Papatūānuku and our people were struggling to afford the cost of how we manage menstruation.

Wā Collective Office

Of 1000 menstruating students we found:

🍒 30% had skipped class because of a lack of access to menstrual products
🍒 Kiwis use enough disposable menstrual products each year to wrap the circumference of the globe.
🍒 50% of ovulators are still too embarrassed to talk about periods openly

Our Birth

Wā Collective started as a shoebox on the wall of Massey University where people could put tampons and pads in, and other people could take them out.

Upon deciding this approach was an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, and only helping on the surface, Wā Collective shifted to become a system that was designed to free people from it, instead of keep them in it. Smart. That's when we started to grow.

With flowing joy we launched our full business and impact model on International Women's Day, 2018.

HOW OUR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WORKS

It's simple.
Every premium quality Wā menstrual cup sold subsidises Wā Cups for students in need,
keeping our next generation in class and stopping period poverty from adversely affecting education in Aotearoa.
#StandingOvulation

SOCIAL IMPACT PARTNERS

We co-create solutions with organisations who work with people in need. We listen, chat, then work out the best way to give this hand up, empowering communities with the tools for themselves.

We partner with students’ associations and learning institutes to flow subsidised Wā Cups and period puns to students, right on campus or site.
This also engages the whole insititutional community in the period conversation, strengthening the national conversation.

We also partner with Womxn's Health Collectives to get free cups to those in need and co-facilitate school programmes.

This cup has changed my life, in more ways than one. Often by the time the expenses were paid, I couldn't afford pads so used toilet paper rolled up, which would often bleed through. Now, I can get on with my day and my life so much more. Thank you Wā Collective

#InLikeFlynn with what we are up to?
Want to join us, rep us, or get us to speak at your event?
We'd love to hear from you.

Sync up with
crew@wacollective.org.nz xo