Taking opportunities & making change
Shuari Naidoo started her business, Moraka Menstrual Cups, when she was just 16 as a part of the young enterprise scheme.
Now in her first year at Victoria University of Wellington studying politics and criminology, she has become a leader in the period poverty space. We had the awesome opportunity to talk with Shuari about her journey so far, and her advice for other young people!
What made you want to start Moraka Menstrual Cups?
I started Moraka in year 12 - I went to this event, and I was thinking of ideas on what to do and wanted to do something that wasn’t the usual. I wanted to start something that had a long-term impact, something that could really help people. I thought of a conversation I had with my mum a few years ago, about menstrual cups and how she wanted to start a business, but she didn’t feel it was the right time.
I thought “we’re in an era now where people are really embracing new ideas, new period products, we’re in the middle of fourth wave feminism, people are really looking to try new period products”, so I decided to start Moraka Menstrual Cups.
What is your mission?
We work in trying to end period poverty. Period poverty is a term used to describe the situation or circumstance of not being able to have access to period products due to cost. Our mission is to provide affordable, sustainable, and cost-effective period products that counter the issue of period poverty and menstrual taboo in society. Not having access to period products is a serious issue - we have people missing out on education, missing out on work. We think not having access to period products should not be a barrier to unleashing opportunities. That why we have our solution, the menstrual cup.
We want to make sure that having a menstrual cup is accessible for everyone.
Through that we try to educate people on period health, and period positivity. But we do understand that period positivity can be a bit of a loose term, because you can’t always be happy about our period. We’re not all going to have a good relationship with our periods. But we all have the right to have access to period products, specifically people who want to try menstrual cups, and we all have the right to have periods with dignity.
What has been the best part of your journey so far?
I would say meeting these amazing people on my journey. Having an opportunity to speak about this issue that I think needs awareness. It’s my passion, and I think when you work on your passion it’s just a feeling of, you’re making a difference. Helping so many people is the reward and it’s something I really enjoy.
How do you work out what your passion is?
Take your time, there’s no use forcing something – it will feel really natural. You can start off on one path, you can start off with one passion, and it can lead to so many other things. Don’t think of it as “this is the set point”,
its more about the journey than the destination
- that kind of sounds a bit cliché, but it really is just about learning new things. Think about it as a learning experience. Through my business I learn a lot of things, I learn how to network, I learn how to build connection, I learn how to run a business, and I think that’s also where the passion stems, from just learnings. It’s all about the learning.
What has been your biggest lesson so far?
I think the biggest lesson that I’ve learned is public speaking. That’s not really a lesson, but it’s about the way you interact with people. I’m quite introverted, and I think it’s a little bit harder for us to interact with people, it’s just about learning how to read people’s emotions, understanding them, who to contact, and I think that’s the biggest lesson just interacting with people.
How do you approach educating people about period poverty?
I normally work through social media, because social media is a large platform where I can reach a number of people. And I like to do a lot of work with NGOs and organisations such as The Period Place, Nest Consulting, Endo Warriors Aotearoa, and Dear Em. I love to use places like these as a platform for education and awareness, I like to work with these amazing organisations to get the word out there. Cause while I can just be considered a small-ish company, I know there are a lot of allies or organisations that I’m willing to work with to get the message out there.
What do you think young women can do to get involved in things like social change, feminism, and ending period poverty?
I think that be involved with whatever organisations school has to offer, whether it be volunteering, environmental activism, or social change groups. But I also advocate for making your own groups, making your own path, because if you see there is a gap in something or you see people aren’t taking action against a certain issue, you become the leader of that. You take action into your own hands, you’ve got the power, you be the one to lead the change. Sometimes people aren’t going to give you these things, if you keep waiting then you might not get them, you make your own destiny.
What ways do you think young women can empower each other in their daily lives?
Support one another, you never know what one compliment can do to another person, like just saying “oh you look nice in that dress” or “I saw your post on social media, it was awesome”, or just saying congratulations. Because I notice, particularly woman to woman, there’s a lot of competition, and I think that stems from the feeling that there’s a lack of places for women. But if we stopped competing with each other, and instead started just complimenting each other and supporting one another it would make a real difference, because other women are not your threats, they can be your real allies.
What would your top tip be for someone wanting to become a leader in their community?
Give it a go, make your own opportunities out there. Don’t let fear or doubt get in the way.
At the end of the day, we need to go for what makes us happy.
Because the best opportunities come from us just taking a chance and you never know where those opportunities will lead so just give it a go.
When I was young it always felt like some people getting these amazing opportunities, and you were getting left out. So, I stopped waiting for other people to give it to me and I made it myself. Stop waiting for others to give it to you because it might never happen. You’ve got it in your hands, take it, make it.
You can find more about Shuari and Moraka Menstrual Cups at their website or follow them on Instagram!
