PERIODS ARE NOT LUXURIES

FIRST NATIONAL PERIOD DAY

Saturday, October 19.  Maybe this will be one of those days about which you say, "I remember where I was, what I was doing." Whether you celebrate by reading some articles, working on kit components, making a donation, telling others about period equity or Days for Girls, or participating in the Portland rally, you're helping solve the problem.  I just heard about periodequity.org on NPR--it has links to some articles.  Thirty-four states still charge a sales tax on menstrual products--and in addition to groups lobbying their lawmakers to eliminate that, there's also a lawsuit claiming gender-based discrimination. Watch this video!

AMAZON SMILE

Don't forget--you can choose a nonprofit to receive a donation with every purchase you make at smile.amazon.com.  Same products, same prices, same service as Amazon!  Their donation is half a percent of your purchase cost, so that adds up.  For the last quarter, DFGI received a check for $1070 thanks to supporters shopping at that version of the Amazon website.  Sometimes if I'm browsing on Amazon.com, it will ask if I want to switch to smile.amazon.com, but not always, so double-check to make sure your purchase triggers a donation.

And, did you know I created a wishlist on Amazon?  The prices typically are not the best for the items we use (especially if you watch for sales and coupons elsewhere), but it's there if you need a quick reminder.  There is more on our October 4th blog entry and in print (on orange paper) wishlist, of course.  One of the other leaders suggested the Amazon list that their donors can check if they need something to get their total into the "free shipping" status, so that's an idea.

CHECK THIS OUT

The website diaryofaquilter.com features Days for Girls.  Nice video to watch.

ANDREW CUOMO SIGNS

On October 12, the International Day of the Girl, New York Governor Cuomo signed a law requiring menstrual products to list their ingredients.  Fantastic--I hope the rest of the states follow suit!

WHERE ARE THOSE KITS WE MADE?

Do you ever get asked where our kits go?  Kits from our Eugene/Springfield Chapter have been distributed in Afghanistan, Ghana, Haiti, India, Kenya, Lebanon, Peru, Puerto Rico (after Hurricane Maria), Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Texas (after Hurricane Harvey), Uganda and Zimbabwe.  We've also shared kits and components with other chapters, but I neglected to write down where those were heading.

UPCOMING WORKDAYS AT OUR SEWING ROOM

Our next workday will be Saturday, November 2, 10-4.  That's the day we'll celebrate Days for Girls' 11th birthday (November 1) and the 100th anniversary of my mother's birth (November 2), and I'll bring a Sweet Life cake.  Presents for DFG are always welcome.  Our wish list was posted in the October 4th blog entry, with desired items listed in order of current need, so scroll down to see if there's anything you'd like to bring.  At the top of the list is  "Cotton  underpants, girls sizes 10, 12, 14 & 16, and women’s sizes 5, 6 and 7, as colorful as possible (for hiding stains). The styles we use are bikini (preferred by most of the girls), briefs, and hipsters.  Please no boy shorts or thong styles.  Fabric restrictions apply here too (except that solids are great). Do not wash the undies."  

In celebration of this 11th year milestone, Days for Girls is shipping 33,000 kits to women in refugee camps.  Our chapter contributed 527 kits, which depleted our undie supply by 1054 pairs!

We will NOT have a workday on the first Saturday in December, because Our Sewing Room is hosting a special event that day.  We may schedule a substitute date if we have a deadline looming, so stay tuned.

OUR KITS COME WITH EDUCATION

Education and knowledge create a girl force that's unstoppable. That’s why in addition to distributing washable pads and menstrual health products, we focus on health education for girls around the world. 

This education is the key to creating long-lasting, sustainable change in communities, shattering stigmas surrounding menstruation, and empowering girls to chase their dreams.

KENYA

When we first started out as a team, Friends of Kenya Schools and Wildlife (based in Junction City) requested kits for the girls in schools they support.  Browsing my records, I just came across this feedback from the recipients: 

o The kits are comfortable

o They don’t need to change very often.

o There is no burning sensation.

o There is no leakage.

o The girls are happy because the shields and liners are easy to clean they can use ordinary soap that they have available

o They are happy with the colors and the patterns, and the material. 

o Sizing. Almost all of the girls fit the 10/12.

When I first saw the photos, I experienced a happy jolt to see familiar fabric that had been patiently waiting on the shelves of my sewing room for just the right project, now in the hands of these lovely young ladies, thousands of miles away! 

We sent kits to Kenya a few times in our early years, but no longer do.  The local women expressed interest in making and selling the kits, and FKSW stepped up and paid for them to receive training at Days for Girls University in Uganda.  They now are one of several Kenyan Enterprises, providing kits for nonprofits to purchase in country, education presentations for distributions, and individual components for the local girls and women to purchase as they need to supplement their  kits!