Be Girl’s beginnings
When Diana Sierra visited Uganda in 2013, she met young girls who were missing school simply because they couldn’t afford menstrual supplies. An industrial designer by trade, Sierra was struck by the injustice and inspired to create a solution.
That spark of empathy and innovation became Be Girl, a bold social enterprise that today is changing the way menstrual health is addressed in Africa. Now, with a new catalytic investment of USD $500,000 from Grand Challenges Canada (GCC), Be Girl is entering a new phase of growth—one that will expand access to their innovative products and life-changing education programs across multiple countries in Africa.
Rethinking menstrual products and education
At the heart of Be Girl’s work is the belief that every girl deserves dignity, confidence, and opportunity—no matter where she lives or her economic background. The company designs and distributes high-quality, reusable menstrual products such as its flagship PeriodPanty, a patented 2-in-1 design that transforms any clean absorbent material into a safe, sustainable sanitary solution. But Be Girl is more than a product company. Their products are often paired with the SmartCycle educational tool, designed with both affordability and impact in mind. Together, they make menstruation more manageable for girls in low- and middle-income countries—where options are often limited or non-existent. Be Girl is also an educator. Through its Train-the-Trainer (TOT) programs and national curriculum partnerships, the company equips educators, youth mentors, and even government partners with tools to deliver comprehensive menstruation education—breaking the silence and stigma surrounding periods for good.
Pivoting for impact
Be Girl’s journey hasn’t been without its challenges. In 2021, the company tested a direct-to-consumer model in Mozambique, only to find that high retail costs, limited purchasing power, and social stigma made this path unsustainable. Undeterred, the team pivoted to a business-to-institution (B2I) model—working directly with governments, UN agencies, and NGOs to distribute products and run large-scale education programs.
The results speak for themselves. In Angola, Be Girl’s collaboration with the Ministry of Education and UNFPA led to a $2.3 million contract to provide menstrual health education to 200,000 girls. In Mozambique, their contributions helped launch the country’s first national menstrual health curriculum, reaching 250,000 adolescents through the DREAMS initiative.
To date, Be Girl has sold over 1 million products and delivered educational programs to 530,000 youth. Through its platform and training materials, the organization targets both girls and boys with the goal of fostering menstrual health literacy and breaking down stigma. By 2030, Be Girl aims to reach 1.2 million young people worldwide.
GCC’s catalytic role
Grand Challenges Canada has been a steadfast partner in Be Girl’s journey. In 2018, GCC provided an initial seed grant of up to CAD $800,000 to launch in Mozambique and to expand the team. In May 2025, GCC provided a SAFE investment of USD $450,000, along with an additional USD $50,000 in technical assistance funding. This new injection of capital will support strategic hires across sales, operations, and finance, while also enabling the development of a multilingual digital education platform and a new country pilot in Zimbabwe.
“Be Girl is a perfect example of how smart design, bold leadership, and strategic partnerships can come together to transform lives,” says Brishan Rowjee, Equity Investments Lead at GCC. “We’re proud to be part of their next chapter.” As part of this commitment, Rowjee will also be taking a seat on the board, ensuring GCC remains actively involved in supporting Be Girl’s growth and impact.
Leeat Gellis, Director of Social Finance at Grand Challenges Canada, reflects on the long-standing relationship: “We’ve been proud to support Be Girl since our first grant in 2018 and are excited to join an impressive list of impact investors supporting the company’s growth – including; The Case for Her, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation (DRK), and Impact Assets. It’s been incredible to witness Be Girl’s evolution—from a bold idea to a reputable social enterprise improving the lives of hundreds of thousands of girls and women in Mozambique, Angola, Ghana, and others. This next phase is a testament to the power of shared vision.”
Designing a brighter future
Be Girl’s mission goes beyond menstruation. By providing girls and boys with the knowledge and tools to understand menstrual health, challenge stigma, and stay engaged in school, the company is fostering a generation of confident, educated young people empowered to shape their own futures.
As Sierra puts it, “Our work is about more than just products—it’s about giving girls power, voice, and opportunity. Period.”
With continued support from mission-aligned partners like GCC, Be Girl is well on its way to achieving that vision—one girl, one classroom, one country at a time.
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