Eco champion Queen Esther unveils project to tackle the problem of inadequate disposal of menstrual waste

Queen Esther Michael Hogan, a green champion and champion of girls’ development, launched Project Moho, an innovative menstrual waste management initiative aimed at addressing the environmental and public health risks of poor menstrual waste disposal across Africa.

In a statement released on Sunday, Hogan explained that the initiative was conceived following his experiences during the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, program in Lafia, Nasarawa State, in 2023, where he observed first-hand the challenges related to menstrual hygiene and waste disposal in disadvantaged communities.

During her year of service, she founded Lafia Girls Day, a community initiative focused on combating period poverty and promoting menstrual hygiene education among adolescent girls.

Through the initiative, Hogan and her team said they have impacted over 3,000 girls in four schools in Lafia through menstrual health education and support.

“Working closely with adolescent girls in schools, Hogan observed a serious gap in menstrual waste disposal systems.

“Used sanitary products were often disposed of indiscriminately through open landfills within school settings due to the absence of gender-sensitive facilities and adequate waste management facilities,” he said.

According to Hogan, the challenge extends beyond schools and reflects a broader global problem related to poor urban planning, a lack of design thinking and inadequate investment in menstrual waste infrastructure, all of which have implications for climate health, sanitation and public health.

Motivated by the need to create sustainable solutions, she developed the Moho Project as part of the Eco-Champion Project funded by SOS Children’s Villages in 2025.

Project Moho, which stands for Menstrual Hygiene Optimized, is designed to provide structured menstrual waste disposal systems through the installation of specialized metal containers in schools, health centers and public spaces to safely collect used menstrual products.

The collected waste is then disposed of through closed incineration systems aimed at reducing environmental pollution and unsafe disposal practices.

As part of its long-term vision, Hogan is also developing a prototype electrically powered incinerator aimed at urban communities with access to electricity, allowing women and girls to safely dispose of used menstrual products immediately after use.