Three enterprising Otago Girls High School students have developed a drink concentrate to provide natural relief from period-related inflammation.
Year 13 business students Emma Fahey, 18, Theresa Radka, 17, and Hayley Reynolds, 17, drew on their own personal experiences for their Young Enterprise Scheme project.
They had a desire to do some that benefited others struggling with similar issues and they also wanted to reduce stigma around periods and encourage women to have open conversations about menstruation.
Darcy Schack and Dr Anna Campbell, from Zestt Wellness, helped the trio formulate their product Rhythm, making sure the ingredients worked together and the end result also tasted good.
Rhythm included blackcurrants, gala apples, turmeric, vanilla, lemon juice, magnesium and cinnamon, and more than 90% of the ingredients were New Zealand-grown. The concentrate could be used as either a shot or added to hot, cold or sparkling water.
They started working on the idea in April and have been selling the product since July, both online and at several local stockists, including Roslyn Pharmacy, Health 2000 Sunray and Taste Nature.
The students, who all have their respective roles — Theresa is chief executive, Emma is marketing and communications director and Hayley is chief financial officer — were pleased with the feedback. They had all used it themselves and felt benefits from it, as had other customers, they said.
They hoped to make the regional and national finals for the Young Enterprise competition and they were also keen to continue with Rhythm next year after they had left school.
Emma was planning to study entrepreneurship at university, Theresa was heading to Canada to study business and Hayley was going to teachers’ college.
Their foray into business had shown it could be very difficult but also very rewarding, Theresa said.
sally.rae@odt.co.nz
