About
Deep in the heart of the Yucatan jungle in 2016, a profound realization transformed a normal personal care practice to a concept of social empowerment. We were stationed at an eco-village, with 250 acres of undeveloped jungle, and were minutes from the historical town of Izamal, Mexico. Open discussions with other worldly travellers began to take shape about personal hygiene. In most other countries, their practices are very different from my own experience back in Canada.
Many stories of poor villages and towns using eco-sustainable health conscious products were heard. While meeting all their menstrual and bladder incontinence needs completely unaware, that this was not the standard practice elsewhere. Reusable cloth baby diapers were already a staple in homes and facilities. The waste removal system that we have been accustomed to was simply nonexistent to them. As discussions continued an understanding began to formulate on how a deep, meaningful sense of community these families shared by ensuring all beings had their basic needs met.
I suspected these were primal survival skills, since many locations in our travels through Vietnam and Mexico had very little understanding on how their choices affected the environment. I began to ask myself how these primal concepts could create a long-term social impact in my own community. Already an advocate and user of these products, we began to develop a plan throughout our continued travels to see how receptive this would resonate back home.
Many stories of poor villages and towns using eco-sustainable health conscious products were heard. While meeting all their menstrual and bladder incontinence needs completely unaware, that this was not the standard practice elsewhere. Reusable cloth baby diapers were already a staple in homes and facilities. The waste removal system that we have been accustomed to was simply nonexistent to them. As discussions continued an understanding began to formulate on how a deep, meaningful sense of community these families shared by ensuring all beings had their basic needs met.
I suspected these were primal survival skills, since many locations in our travels through Vietnam and Mexico had very little understanding on how their choices affected the environment. I began to ask myself how these primal concepts could create a long-term social impact in my own community. Already an advocate and user of these products, we began to develop a plan throughout our continued travels to see how receptive this would resonate back home.
During 2017, our family renovated a school bus into a self-sustainable tiny home and started our journey across Canada. For the next year, we gathered information from London, Ontario to northern British Columbia close to the Alaska border. This adventure provided us with the first-hand experience and candid discussions about the need for these products Canada wide.
Up until 1921, the only choices people had were grass, sheep wool, rags, and reusable pads. When Johnson and Johnson in collaboration with nurses on the battlefields created the first disposable pad out of wood pulp that all changed. Over the last 100 years, many developments have been made in personal hygiene protection. Flash forward to today; we have created an environmental, health and financial disaster for those who now rely on these products. Both menstrual and incontinent care products are considered medical devices in Canada, as such, they are tax exempt. Even though this protection is viewed countrywide as a necessary medical device, no other organizations are providing a long-term solution to those in need. Ws have a solution to providing the essential care products that each individual is entitled to, without creating environmental, health, and financial burdens.
In the beginning of 2018, we committed to our mission to bring affordable, accessible, and reusable care back to those that need it, as well as to expose those that have never been introduced to the alternative concept. With my strong medical background and personal obligation to share my knowledge and passion, Rebel Rags emerged. Our goal is to transform a concept into a realistic action plan that will allow us to create a real impact and not just bandage solutions. These pads provide long-term solutions to daily challenges for many. Ensuring that we have a far superior, environmentally and safe product was critical. I wanted individuals to experience comfort, reliability and ease of use. Most import to instill a sense of dignity. Our product lines exceed those metrics, all of which are confirmed with great reviews.
Up until 1921, the only choices people had were grass, sheep wool, rags, and reusable pads. When Johnson and Johnson in collaboration with nurses on the battlefields created the first disposable pad out of wood pulp that all changed. Over the last 100 years, many developments have been made in personal hygiene protection. Flash forward to today; we have created an environmental, health and financial disaster for those who now rely on these products. Both menstrual and incontinent care products are considered medical devices in Canada, as such, they are tax exempt. Even though this protection is viewed countrywide as a necessary medical device, no other organizations are providing a long-term solution to those in need. Ws have a solution to providing the essential care products that each individual is entitled to, without creating environmental, health, and financial burdens.
In the beginning of 2018, we committed to our mission to bring affordable, accessible, and reusable care back to those that need it, as well as to expose those that have never been introduced to the alternative concept. With my strong medical background and personal obligation to share my knowledge and passion, Rebel Rags emerged. Our goal is to transform a concept into a realistic action plan that will allow us to create a real impact and not just bandage solutions. These pads provide long-term solutions to daily challenges for many. Ensuring that we have a far superior, environmentally and safe product was critical. I wanted individuals to experience comfort, reliability and ease of use. Most import to instill a sense of dignity. Our product lines exceed those metrics, all of which are confirmed with great reviews.
As a single mom who struggled for a number of years, I know first-hand that sense of defeat and self-sacrifice, needed to make the choice to feed my son over my own sanitary protection. My story is sadly not unique.
Our vision is to create a solid business structure that allows us to create a social impact while solving the issue of sourcing these products. As we began our soft launch in August under the name Rebel Rags, the most incredible and unexpected event happened. We grew...a lot!
People responded and were grateful, intrigued, and ready to step into change. With our donation of a pad for every pad sold, we were witnessing huge impacts on all women. Each of us is drawn to a particular social movement and we cover a wide demographic of emotional triggers. Reusable pads encompass three focuses; environmental protection, reducing health risks through toxicity avoidance and financial impact or lack of resources.
Seeing an embrace from our community and great organizations like Reimagine Co., we quickly grew from word of mouth sales to being sold in five stores throughout London. Selling 1500 pads in the first 3 months, handmade with love, we knew our community was ready.
Our vision is growing to provide a reusable solution to medical facilities, organizations with outreach programs, direct sales with consumers and to communities with limited access such as Nunavut. Our goal next year is to witness this blossom into a model to donate 50,000 pads within our local communities. We will achieve this through grants, sales and creative innovative think tanks.
We have already started to collaborate with numerous organizations, such as SafeSpace London to ensure that these products are available to those that need them and that there are facilities to care for them. It is not only important to provide a product, but also education on hygiene health surrounding period, incontinent care, and bladder care. We are continuing to develop a new line of male incontinence protection as well as a reusable replacement for individuals of all ages with bladder incontinence and bowel dysfunctions.
We are committed to ongoing education through developing programs to ensure grade 7 and 8 girls have access to period care. For boys, they will be taught basic sewing skills as we create an open dialogue reducing period shaming. This will help reduce the prevalent body image and self-esteem disorders plaguing our youth.
We are dedicated to the responsibility we have to our investors, customers, employees and to ourselves to honour our core values. Our success is measured by the success to ignite dignity and self-esteem in all those affected by a lack of knowledge or resources. A strong community is only achieved when all beings needs are met daily.
We need YOUR help to make this mission successful. Stand shoulder to shoulder with us as we focus on bringing reusable care as an alternative to old thought processes on disposable and costly methods. Educate and empower the next generation of impact makers. When people have hope, support and dignity they can rise above their struggles, step onto a new path free from repression. We are only as strong as the weakest link in the community; let us strengthen those fragile links so we can stand strong together.
Join the Rebellion.
Our vision is to create a solid business structure that allows us to create a social impact while solving the issue of sourcing these products. As we began our soft launch in August under the name Rebel Rags, the most incredible and unexpected event happened. We grew...a lot!
People responded and were grateful, intrigued, and ready to step into change. With our donation of a pad for every pad sold, we were witnessing huge impacts on all women. Each of us is drawn to a particular social movement and we cover a wide demographic of emotional triggers. Reusable pads encompass three focuses; environmental protection, reducing health risks through toxicity avoidance and financial impact or lack of resources.
Seeing an embrace from our community and great organizations like Reimagine Co., we quickly grew from word of mouth sales to being sold in five stores throughout London. Selling 1500 pads in the first 3 months, handmade with love, we knew our community was ready.
Our vision is growing to provide a reusable solution to medical facilities, organizations with outreach programs, direct sales with consumers and to communities with limited access such as Nunavut. Our goal next year is to witness this blossom into a model to donate 50,000 pads within our local communities. We will achieve this through grants, sales and creative innovative think tanks.
We have already started to collaborate with numerous organizations, such as SafeSpace London to ensure that these products are available to those that need them and that there are facilities to care for them. It is not only important to provide a product, but also education on hygiene health surrounding period, incontinent care, and bladder care. We are continuing to develop a new line of male incontinence protection as well as a reusable replacement for individuals of all ages with bladder incontinence and bowel dysfunctions.
We are committed to ongoing education through developing programs to ensure grade 7 and 8 girls have access to period care. For boys, they will be taught basic sewing skills as we create an open dialogue reducing period shaming. This will help reduce the prevalent body image and self-esteem disorders plaguing our youth.
We are dedicated to the responsibility we have to our investors, customers, employees and to ourselves to honour our core values. Our success is measured by the success to ignite dignity and self-esteem in all those affected by a lack of knowledge or resources. A strong community is only achieved when all beings needs are met daily.
We need YOUR help to make this mission successful. Stand shoulder to shoulder with us as we focus on bringing reusable care as an alternative to old thought processes on disposable and costly methods. Educate and empower the next generation of impact makers. When people have hope, support and dignity they can rise above their struggles, step onto a new path free from repression. We are only as strong as the weakest link in the community; let us strengthen those fragile links so we can stand strong together.
Join the Rebellion.