Mary Nyaruai
Drawing from Jason Hickel’s proof that capitalism cannot solve crises it profits from, George Fraser’s revelation that true business is radical giving, and Bruce Mau’s challenge “Now that we can do anything, what will we do?”, this lecture redefines design as a revolutionary practice of love, care, and responsibility for all beings. It positions design as political, ecological and profoundly human.
It is this same love, deep care, and positive anger that I refused to accept that over 500 million women and girls still lack access to safe menstrual products and inspired the creation of an absorbent core for eco-friendly sanitary pads using pineapple and maize husk fibres. Validated through foundational R&D with world-class institute NIRI (UK), our material shows superior retention to wood pulp and comparable performance to leading organic brands. During this talk, I will share the journey, the design process and where we are currently at.
Honouring Victor Papanek’s call to Design for the Real World, we must first name what the real world is today, a planet on fire. This lecture offers a new brief to designers everywhere, to be courageous in our design choices. Choices that are socially radical, ecologically grounded, anti-imperialist, non-violent, anti-racist, and justice-driven, choices that honour all life. Come ready to feel the heat, because people only change when they feel the heat and know that this revolution will be designed with love, the most disruptive material of all.
Mary Nyaruai is an ethical entrepreneur and design activist whose work connects ecological responsibility, reproductive justice, and social equity. She is driven by an activist heart and by firsthand exposure to the harsh realities of period poverty where some schoolgirls are forced to exchange sex for pads for less than 1 Euro, others use unsafe alternatives and many who can afford pads still suffer health issues caused by the inferior quality of conventional products. Mary was driven to design a better solution. For her, design is activism, and through Nyungu Afrika she is pioneering a circular economy solution by transforming abundant agricultural waste of pineapple leaves and maize husks into a patent-pending biodegradable, tree-free pulp made to make safe, eco-friendly sanitary pads. This innovative approach aims to urgently tackle the humanitarian crisis of period poverty and mitigate the severe harmful impact of conventional disposable pads, which are mostly seen to impact women's health and the environment.
Recognised as Africa's Best Female Entrepreneur by Total Energies and Nyungu Afrika for the Most Promising African Startup by the Deep Tech Summit, Mary is a powerful voice demanding dignity, gender equality and a truly circular, sustainable future speaking truth to power from grassroots to global stages. Beyond her groundbreaking work with Nyungu Afrika, Mary is also dedicated to empowering future generations of female entrepreneurs. She serves as a pan-African entrepreneurship and pitching trainer, equipping them with the confidence and skills to articulate their visions, effectively sell their ideas, and realise their full potential.
