Lennox Omondi didn’t just set out to build a startup – he set out to solve a problem that had been hiding in plain sight for years.
As a university student in Kenya, Omondi was confronted with a heartbreaking reality. Nearly one-third of female students in the country regularly missed school because they could not afford sanitary products. For many, this meant falling behind in their studies, missing out on opportunities, and being forced into a cycle of disadvantage that was difficult to escape. For Omondi, this statistic wasn’t just another development challenge to read about in a report – it was deeply personal. It was urgent.
While the issue of period poverty has long been discussed in policy circles, it is often spoken of in the abstract. Omondi and his peers decided to take a different approach. They asked: what would it take to solve this problem in a way that was affordable, sustainable, and truly local?
Alongside four classmates, Omondi co-founded EcoBana, a social enterprise that transforms banana waste into biodegradable sanitary pads. It was an ambitious idea, one that would need innovation, resilience, and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
But their journey began with almost nothing. “As students, we did not have the capital or resources to buy the necessary equipment to create a prototype,” Omondi recalled. What they did have was resourcefulness. The team turned to the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI), making use of the available machinery to create their first proof of concept.
It was in Kenya’s Kisii County, an agricultural region famed for its banana farming, that the team found their breakthrough material. After each harvest, thick banana pseudo-stems – fibrous, bulky plant matter were typically discarded. They were often left to rot in fields, burned as waste, or piled along farm boundaries. For most farmers, they had no commercial value. For Omondi and his team, they were an untapped resource.
By developing a process to extract fibres from these pseudo-stems and refine them into absorbent, compostable material, EcoBana created a sanitary pad that was affordable, plastic-free, and fully biodegradable. Unlike many commercial pads that can take hundreds of years to break down, EcoBana’s product could return to the earth without harming it.
The innovation wasn’t only environmental, it was economic. The model created a new revenue stream for banana farmers, who could now sell what had previously been agricultural waste. It also opened up opportunities for local manufacturing and employment, keeping more of the value chain within Kenyan communities.
Their turning point came in 2022. EcoBana competed in the prestigious Hult Prize, a $1 million global competition for student-led social enterprises. After months of pitching, refining their business model, and competing against teams from around the world, EcoBana emerged as the winner.
“With $1 million, we’re confident that we will be the best and become number-one producers of biodegradable sanitary towels in Kenya and East Africa,” Omondi said after their win. It was a bold statement – but one grounded in a clear plan to scale.
The Hult Prize win not only brought in significant capital but also international attention. Global media outlets covered the story, framing EcoBana as an example of how African innovation could address both social and environmental challenges at once. The prize also helped attract further funding, including KES 900,000 from the Swiss Embassy and KES 1.65 million from TotalEnergies.
With these resources, EcoBana expanded its operations, investing in better equipment, increasing production capacity, and building a broader distribution network. Today, their pads are reaching schools, clinics, and community centres across Kenya, with plans to expand into neighbouring countries.
For many of the girls who receive EcoBana pads, the impact is immediate and tangible. Missing school during menstruation can mean losing up to 20% of the academic year. Over time, this gap can lead to lower grades, reduced confidence, and a higher likelihood of dropping out. By providing an affordable and sustainable solution, EcoBana is helping to close that gap – one pad at a time.
Yet for Omondi, the mission is about more than just sanitary pads. It is about building a holistic ecosystem that tackles multiple challenges at once. EcoBana’s work supports local farmers by creating a market for banana stems, reducing plastic waste by replacing synthetic materials with biodegradable alternatives, creating dignified employment in manufacturing and distribution, and empowering girls to stay in school.
It’s a model of circular economy thinking – taking what would have been discarded and turning it into something of high value, while keeping economic benefits local. This approach resonates strongly in a world increasingly concerned about sustainability and climate change. The story of EcoBana also reflects a wider trend in African entrepreneurship: solutions built for local realities that have the potential to scale globally. While imported products often dominate the market, they are rarely adapted to the unique needs of communities. By contrast, EcoBana’s pads are made in Kenya, from locally sourced materials, and priced with affordability in mind.
As the company looks to the future, there are still challenges to navigate. Expanding production while maintaining quality, managing distribution in remote areas, and competing with large multinational brands will all require careful strategy. But Omondi’s track record suggests that he and his team are more than capable of rising to the occasion.
From a student project built on borrowed machinery to a globally recognised social enterprise, EcoBana’s journey is a testament to what can happen when purpose meets persistence. It shows that solutions to some of the most pressing challenges can emerge from the most unexpected places – even from the waste left behind in banana farms.
For the young girls who now have access to affordable, sustainable sanitary pads, the impact is deeply personal. For the farmers who have found new value in their crops, it is economic. And for Kenya, it is a story of innovation, empowerment, and the possibility of leading the world in sustainable solutions.
In transforming banana waste into a tool for education, dignity, and environmental stewardship, Lennox Omondi and EcoBana have done more than start a business – they have sparked a movement.
