For as long as Bridget Masila can remember, menstrual cramps have been a recurring, often debilitating part of life.
The pain was predictable but so was the disappointment. Painkillers would work for a while, only for the pain to return stronger. “Over time, the frustration just kept building” she said.
Then, on a routine commute to school, something shifted. “I remember thinking, I need a digital, AI tech solution to curb this problem,” she recalled.
That thought would become the seed of C-Flow – an AI-powered wearable device designed to help women manage menstrual pain in real time.
For Bridget, however, the idea was never just about physical relief. She remembered a high school friend who had missed an exam due to severe cramps. “She was hospitalized and had to sit the exam alone later. I can’t imagine the anxiety she must have felt,” Bridget said.
That memory stayed with her and became a reminder of how something as natural as menstruation can still disrupt lives, dreams, and opportunities, especially for young girls.
C-Flow was Bridget’s answer. The wearable combines TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) technology with artificial intelligence to both block pain signals and learn a user’s cycle, anticipating discomfort and adapting its relief accordingly.
Her vision? To ensure that no girl misses school, work or a life milestone because of menstrual pain.
But innovation needs more than an idea. It needs skills, structure, and support. That’s where the Power Learn Project (PLP) and Safaricom Hook came in.
Bridget was among the 250 students who recently graduated from the PLP program, a tech training initiative supported by Safaricom Hook.
The program was created to empower youth with future-ready skills in areas like software development, blockchain, and AI with an emphasis on solving real community problems.
“We partnered with Safaricom to train software developers across the country. The goal is to equip them to use digital tools to solve challenges in healthcare, education, and beyond,” said Eric Muriithi, Dean of Students at PLP.
Bridget says the 16-week program transformed more than just her technical skills. “Not many people had heard of C-Flow when I joined but now, I’ve not only gained the skills to build it, I’ve also found a platform to share it.”
Speaking at the graduation event held at the Michael Joseph Centre, Safaricom’s Head of Consumer Business, Fawzia Ali, celebrated the 250 graduates drawn from a pool of 3,900 applicants across Kenya.
“What stood out was that 30% of the graduating class were women. That tells us that young women in Kenya are stepping into tech with confidence, and they’re here to lead,” she said.
Now, Bridget is focused on taking C-Flow from concept to clinic and is currently seeking $15,000 in funding to develop a clinically approved prototype, register the device as a health-tech product, and prepare for a wider launch across Kenya and East Africa.
“My message to other young innovators is simple. Build that thing. Start it. Test it. Talk about it. Someone out there is waiting for your solution,” she said.
