Check Out Brenda Owusu-Firempong’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda Owusu-Firempong.

Hi Brenda , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a small town called Apremdo in Takoradi, in Ghana’s Western Region. There was a small military barracks in the community, and many of the families around us were farmers who struggled to afford even the basic necessities.

When I got my first period at the age of 12, my grandmother, who raised me, sat me down and spoke mainly about abstinence from a religious perspective. She then handed me a large roll of cotton and told me to use it as a sanitary pad. For the next five years, that was all I knew about menstruation. I understood that it meant I could become pregnant, but I had no real education about my body, menstrual hygiene, or the products available to help me manage my period safely and comfortably.

It wasn’t until I developed my first yeast infection that a doctor took the time to explain what menstruation actually was, how to care for myself properly, the different menstrual products available, and the myths and facts surrounding periods. More importantly, she helped me understand that menstruation was a natural part of life and not something to be embarrassed or ashamed of. Until that moment, I was too uncomfortable to even talk about my period with my friends because I genuinely believed it was something dirty and secret.

Years later, when I started medical school, I realized my experience was far from unique. I met and learned about countless girls who were still facing the same challenges; limited access to menstrual products, little or no menstrual education, and the stigma that surrounds something so natural.

That realization inspired me to found RED DAYS, GREEN FUTURES. Our mission is to combat period poverty while providing girls, especially those in rural and underserved communities, with accurate menstrual health education. Through our outreach programs, we not only teach girls about their bodies, menstrual hygiene, and reproductive health, but we also provide them with menstrual products and hygiene supplies to help them manage their periods with dignity.

At its heart, Red Days, Green Futures is about restoring confidence. Every girl deserves to attend school without fear, manage her period safely, and understand that menstruation is a normal part of life and not something to hide. My hope is that every girl we reach walks away feeling informed, empowered, and confident in herself.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it definitely has not been a smooth road, but every challenge has strengthened my commitment to this mission.

When I first started Red Days, Green Futures, I reached out to several local menstrual product manufacturers in Ghana, hoping to build partnerships that would help us provide products to girls in need. Unfortunately, despite numerous emails and inquiries, I never received any responses. I also applied for government funding, but because the organization was still in its early stages, my application was unsuccessful.

As a result, I have personally funded every outreach project each time I return to Ghana. As a medical student, that has meant making sacrifices and working within a very limited budget. There have been many times when I wished I could reach more communities or donate more supplies, but I simply didn’t have the financial resources.

Despite those challenges, I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished so far. We have donated more than 100 hygiene kits to girls who needed them most, and every single girl we’ve been able to reach reminds me why this work matters.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that sometimes you have to create your own solution. Recently, I launched Bloombelle Collections, a business that creates beautifully and thoughtfully curated menstrual care and wellness boxes. A portion of every purchase goes directly toward funding Red Days, Green Futures and providing menstrual products and education to girls in underserved communities.

My hope is that as both the NGO and Bloombelle Collections continue to grow, we’ll be able to expand our impact, partner with organizations that share our vision, and reach thousands more girls. This journey hasn’t been easy, but every obstacle has made me even more determined to ensure that no girl has to face menstruation feeling ashamed, uninformed, or unsupported.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently a fourth-year medical student at Trinity School of Medicine, and I am deeply passionate about women’s health. As I continue my medical training, I hope to specialize in either Obstetrics and Gynecology or Family Medicine, where I can combine clinical care with community education and advocacy. Red Days, Green Futures was born from that passion and has become one of the most meaningful parts of my journey.

At Red Days, Green Futures, our mission is to ensure that no girl misses out on school, opportunities, or confidence simply because of her period. We specialize in menstrual health education and combating period poverty by providing girls in underserved communities with hygiene kits, menstrual products, and evidence-based education about their bodies and reproductive health.

What makes our work different is that we believe education is just as important as access. Giving a girl a pack of sanitary pads helps her for a month, but teaching her about menstruation, hygiene, her changing body, and breaking the stigma surrounding periods can empower her for a lifetime. We want every girl to leave our workshops not only with the products she needs, but also with the knowledge and confidence to understand her body without fear or shame.

Being a medical student also allows me to ensure that everything we teach is medically accurate, practical, and easy for young girls to understand. My goal is to bridge the gap between healthcare and communities that often have the least access to reliable health information, empowering girls to make informed decisions about their health from an early age.

One of the things I am most proud of is that, despite having very limited resources, we have already donated more than 100 hygiene kits to girls in Ghana. Every outreach reminds me that even a small act of kindness can change a girl’s confidence, keep her in school, and remind her that someone believes in her.

To make our impact more sustainable, I recently founded Bloombelle Collections, a company that creates beautifully and thoughtfully curated menstrual care and wellness boxes. A portion of every purchase goes directly toward funding Red Days, Green Futures, allowing every customer to become part of our mission. Rather than relying solely on donations, we’re creating a sustainable social enterprise that helps us continue serving more girls each year.

Ultimately, what sets us apart is that we don’t just provide menstrual products, we provide dignity, education, confidence, and hope. We are committed to creating a future where every girl, regardless of where she lives or her family’s income, has the knowledge, resources, and support to manage her period with confidence and without shame. For me, this isn’t just volunteer work; it’s the beginning of the kind of physician I hope to become, that is, one who not only treats patients but also empowers communities through education, compassion, and advocacy.

What does success mean to you?
If you had asked me this question a year ago, my answer would have been very different.

Today, I don’t define success by the amount of money someone has or the material things they accumulate. To me, success is measured by the number of lives you are able to positively impact and the legacy of kindness, compassion, and service you leave behind.

I also believe success is found in resilience. It’s about how many times you’re willing to get back up after disappointment, rejection, or failure. Life rarely goes exactly as planned, and I’ve learned that setbacks don’t define you but how you respond to them does.

Both medical school and building Red Days, Green Futures have taught me this lesson. There have been moments of uncertainty, funding challenges, unanswered emails, and obstacles that made me question whether I was doing enough. But every time I meet a young girl who leaves one of our workshops feeling more confident, informed, and supported, I’m reminded that success isn’t always measured by the size of your organization or the numbers on a balance sheet. Sometimes success is changing one life at a time.

As I continue my journey toward becoming a physician, I hope that people won’t remember me simply for the degrees I earned or the titles I held. I hope they’ll remember that I used my knowledge, my experiences, and every opportunity I was given to make someone else’s life a little better. To me, that is what success truly means.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ red_days_green_futures and @bloombellecollection

Image Credits
School: Morning Glory Montessori School, Accra, Ghana
Video credit: Mrs Irene Hagan (Former Headmistress, Morning Glory Montessori Scool)
Stills from Videos: Kwame Bekoe Ampofo