Adeyela Bennett is an author and the president/CEO of Women in Training, Inc. Bennett and her family lived in the United Arab Emirates, where birthday celebrations involved elaborate gifts for each classmate. This tradition significantly influenced Adeyela Bennett and her twin daughters, Brooke and Breanna. As the twins approached their 12th birthday, Brooke proposed a meaningful initiative—providing period products to girls in schools after realizing many women in the U.S. miss school, work and other activities due to lack of resources. This concept led to the creation of WITKIT and eventually Women in Training, Inc. Today, the company aims to help women live fulfilling lives with the resources they need.
What led you to start Women in Training?
One in five girls living in the U.S. miss school or work because they cannot afford period products. There are almost 17 million menstruating women living in poverty in the U.S. To reflect the broader poverty issue, we updated our motto to: End Poverty. PERIOD!
What is the main purpose of Women in Training?
Women in Training, Inc.(WIT) is a youth empowerment organization that advocates for menstrual equity, menstrual education and engages girls and gender expansive youth, ages 10 to 18, in community service and social justice. We created the WIT Leadership Development Academy to facilitate formal and experiential learning opportunities to cultivate young women into culturally competent and compassionate global leaders.
What is a WITKIT?
Each WITKIT is a branded, zippered canvas bag stocked with menstrual, hygiene and dental supplies. Women in Training, Inc. has distributed more than 30,000 WITKITS to girls locally, nationally and internationally.
What does your day-to-day at work look like?
On any given day, I work relentlessly to obtain funding to support our work to end period poverty. I also recruit and manage volunteers to support our programs and speak at conferences to keep our mission to end period poverty upfront in donors’ minds.
How has this organization shaped your life and helped shape those around you?
Through the support of WIT, I accomplished one of my longtime personal goals, which was to write a book called “Only the Strong Survive: A Womanist Journey” about ancient goddesses, queens and ordinary women who lived extraordinary lives to protect their people.
What is the biggest challenge Women in Training has faced in the last year?
Donors now believe we have successfully ended the challenge of period poverty in Alabama. We have made a large dent, however, the full cost of ending period poverty is close to $5 million annually. The largest population of menstruators who suffer from period poverty are actually unhoused, or homeless, making them more difficult to support through traditional means.
What do you find the most fulfilling about your work?
I particularly enjoy speaking to large groups about our work to create a society where every girl has the resources and freedom to attend classes, participate in sports and other extracurricular activities, and go to work or run their businesses without the stress of worrying about accessing period products!
What accomplishment through the organization are you most proud of?
I am most proud of Brooke and Breanna meeting with Rep. Rolanda Hollis to share their vision of the state helping to provide menstrual supplies for girls. Hollis then fulfilled her promise to double the allocation to $400,000 for the State’s new Feminine Hygiene Products Grant program, and she did just that in April 2024.
When was Women in Training founded and how has it grown/changed over the years?
Breanna and Brooke Bennett started Women in Training, Inc. on their 12th birthday in July2019. At our very first WITKITS Giveaway, we provided WITKITS to 20 girls. Since then, we have distributed more than 30,000 WITKITS.
What would you tell people who want to make a difference in their communities or start anon-profit?
Do it! Take excellent care of your health because community work is endless. Recruit visionaries for your board of directors. And, finally, I recommend that you write a five-year strategic plan to concretize your plans.
What feedback have you received through your work in the organization?
We have garnered tremendous support from the corporate community, major organizations and national leaders including First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, U.S. Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, the Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium and more.
How do people get involved with Women in Training and in what ways can they help?
It would be excellent to have volunteers and participation in fundraising events. We invite everyone to join us!
Personal Q&A:
Best bit of biz advice-you want to give, or you’ve gotten?
“Joy goes a long way to propel success!”
What is your theme song?
“At Last” by Etta James What are you most proud of? Without a doubt, I am most proud of my four daughters. The eldest, Nuola Akinde, is the founder and executive director of Legacy Unbound, with the mission of “erasing the margins in the publishing industry and amplifying BIPOC voices!” Moremi Akinde is my second daughter. Moremi is a creative soul, an artist. The twins, Breanna and Brooke, are two people who share one soul. Bree cares about the world and understands issues far beyond her age. Brooke is an incredibly compassionate and wise soul.
