Some people see a problem and move on. Others see a problem and ask, “What can I do about it?” For Mabel Jonas, that question became a calling.
A Nigerian humanitarian and social impact leader, Mabel is the founder of El-Neema Cares Initiative, a nonprofit organisation working to advance the dignity, wellbeing and opportunities of women and girls, particularly those living in underserved communities.
She founded El-Neema Cares Initiative in 2022 with a simple but powerful commitment: to meet people where their needs are and remind them that their circumstances do not make them less worthy of dignity. And she has taken that commitment to the streets, schools and communities.
Across underserved communities, many girls still struggle to access something as basic as a sanitary pad. For some, menstruation means missing school. For others, it means using tissue paper, rags or whatever material is available. Beyond the physical discomfort is something deeper—the shame, anxiety and loss of dignity that can come with not having what you need to manage your period safely.
Mabel decided that girls should not have to navigate that reality alone.
Through El-Neema Cares Initiative, she has developed programmes including Pad a Yarinya School Outreach, Pad on the Street Outreach, Pad Scholarship Scheme and Widow’s Smile at Christmas, taking support directly to the people who need it.
But if you speak to Mabel, you quickly realise that this work has never been just about pads.
It is about dignity.
It is about a girl being able to go to school without worrying about her period. It is about a woman being able to access basic menstrual health information without shame. It is about a widow receiving a Christmas package and knowing that somebody remembered her. It is about meeting people at the point of their need and saying, “You matter.”
And Mabel understands that giving someone a product without giving them knowledge only solves part of the problem.
That is why she has also invested in education.
She authored The Neema’s Menstrual Booklet and The Neema’s Magazine, educational resources created to help young girls understand menstruation, menstrual hygiene and related health issues in language that is accessible and practical.
Then she took it a step further. Because what happens when the girl who needs the information cannot read English? Mabel made sure language would not become another barrier.
The Neema’s Menstrual Booklet has been translated into three indigenous Nigerian languages and French, opening access to menstrual health information for girls and women who may not speak or read English.
It is a small detail that says a lot about how Mabel thinks about impact. She is not simply asking, “How do we reach more people?” She is asking, “Who are we still leaving out?”
That question is at the heart of her work.
Since 2022, Mabel has continued to build El-Neema Cares Initiative around grassroots humanitarian service, combining menstrual health advocacy, education, community outreach and practical support. Her approach is simple: respond to the immediate need, but don’t stop there.
Give the pad. Give the information. Give the encouragement. Restore the dignity. Create the opportunity. And remind the person in front of you that their present circumstance is not the full story of who they can become.
Her work has earned recognition, including the Inspire Her Africa Award and the Reachout Africa Award, acknowledging the impact she is creating through her work with women and girls.
But perhaps the most important recognition is not on a plaque.
It is in the girl who no longer has to use tissue paper because she has sanitary pads. It is in the young woman who finally understands her menstrual health. It is in the widow who feels remembered at Christmas. It is in the girl who learns that needing help does not make her less valuable.
This is the work Mabel Jonas has chosen. Not simply to give. But to restore. Not simply to provide. But to empower. And not simply to talk about dignity, but to put dignity into the hands of the people who need it most.
About Mabel Jonas
Mabel Jonas is a Nigerian humanitarian, social impact leader and founder of El-Neema Cares Initiative, a nonprofit organisation committed to advancing the dignity, wellbeing and opportunities of women and girls, particularly those living in underserved communities.
Through El-Neema Cares Initiative, she leads grassroots interventions addressing period poverty, menstrual stigma and other social challenges affecting vulnerable women and girls.
Her work sits at the intersection of humanitarian service, menstrual health, education, advocacy and community development.
