Meet Sherin Dawud & Raina Vallot – | Co-Founders

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sherin Dawud & Raina Vallot – and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sherin Dawud & Raina Vallot, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind the success of Power Pump Girls (PPG) is our affinity for people and impact. Social innovation is the design and implementation of new solutions which aim to improve the welfare and wellbeing of individuals and communities. As a nonprofit with niche programming, we’ve been able to build a brand that’s recognizable and inviting because we are social innovators at our core.

Power Pump Girls has been successful over the past four years by implementing programming and events that empower women to connect and serve. Secured. is our signature program which focuses on eliminating period poverty and the stigma of menstruation. Through this program, PPG was instrumental in getting the pink tax eliminated in the state of Louisiana while also increasing awareness of period health and equitable access to products.

Beyond programs, the PPG brand is known for building community through meaningful merchandise, social good campaigns, and intentional gatherings. These pillars are fundamental to our brand’s identity and success.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Period poverty is the reproductive health-related issue negatively impacting many in our community. Period Poverty demonstrates the seriousness for menstruators to have basic necessities be affordable , accessible and safe. When an individual is unable to access proper and safe menstrual care – due to unaffordability or inaccessibility – , they often resort to using homemade products made of napkins, socks, cotton balls, receipt paper, etc. of menstrual products. Period poverty is a prevalent but often unseen issue that affects women and girls across the physical, mental and emotional health spectrum. Recent studies found that nearly two-thirds of the women surveyed and interviewed were unable to afford menstrual hygiene supplies like pads or tampons at some point during the previous year, and 21 percent of women lacked supplies on a monthly basis. Nearly half – 46 percent – of those surveyed could not afford to buy both food and period-related products during the past year. When a menstruating individual does not have access to affordable and/or safe period products, it can have negative health outcomes and irreparable impacts on their self-esteem. The secured. program addresses period equity and ensures that individuals that menstruate have basic needs support that can benefit their overall health and positively impact their outlook on life.

In 2019, PPG launched secured., our period equity program, to eradicate the stigma of menstruation and improve quality of life during menstruation. As part of the secured. program, PPG hosts fundraisers and product drives to collect women’s hygiene products and partners with local schools, nonprofits, and grassroots organizations to distribute the products and identify other needs of the community. Since 2019, PPG has successfully secured funding via capital campaigns, micro-grants and merchandise sales, hosted over 150 educational hours, and received more than 50,000 product donations for the “secured.” program, benefiting hundreds of women across the state of Louisiana.
PPG stays active in the community by launching regular campaigns. #OnlyHangWithDonors is an ongoing, quarterly blood drive that was launched in response to the Covid-19 blood shortage. Through this campaign, PPG was able to help LifeShare Blood Center achieve some of its largest donor turnouts in history.

#OnlyHangWithVoters began to promote civic engagement and informed decisions within voters for the 2019 gubernatorial election. As a result, Baton Rouge saw the highest Black voter turnout in the history of the city

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As soon as she lands, we are headed straight to MidCity Beer Garden for a Paloma. After our cocktail, we’ll walk a few blocks for yellow tail sashimi at Soji. While she’s here we’ll take her to walk around Perkins Rowe for some shopping. We’ll be sure to pop in to Bin 77 for a glass of wine and tuna tartare on the outdoor patio.

Later in the week, we make our way back downtown to the 7 walkable museums to immerse ourselves in Baton Rouge history and art. We’ll be sure to check out any festivals or live music events in the area.

The next day, we’ll grab boiled crawfish and daiquiris for a lake side picnic near LSU’s campus.

To close out our week we’ll stop by Tsunami for a sunset dinner and cocktails for the best view in the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We would be remiss if we did not dedicate our shoutout to the women who believed in us and spoke our names in rooms before we ever walked in them.

We’d specifically like to shoutout our navigator, Gerri Hobdy, for encouraging us to be confident in our unconventionality and embrace our femininity.

Website: powerpumpgirls.org

Instagram: @powerpumpgirlsinc

Twitter: @powerpumpgirls

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/powerpumpgirlsinc/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNITFMHZ8MztlgZg5WTb8w

Image Credits
Photo Credit: Ross & Victoria Armstrong of 4th Flr