Some girls in Lesotho have learned a simple solution to the problems of having periods--they get pregnant! The article from the Lesotho Times tells how Days for Girls kits are changing lives.
NEPAL
Last week DFG Founder Celeste Mergens sent some terrific news from Nepal:
Namaste. We are working from the field in Nepal. Yesterday was a historic day. The community leaders here in Kalikot came together with us and agreed to work together to shift chhapaudi, a traditional practice here that forces menstruating women to wait outside during menstruation, recently resulting in several deaths. They all fully endorsed our program. It was an incredible day. And today is our DfG Women's Circle and AWH Trainer of trainers starts. I just wanted you to know! It's happening! We'll send more soon!
CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT YET?
Here's an article in USA Today about environmentally conscious younger women using cloth pads, cups and period underwear. Good read--lots of food for thought.
VIDEOS
Days for Girls International totally redid their website last week. It'll take some getting used to, and some things are now for group leaders only. If you'd like to look at videos about DFG, go here. If you'd like to see a video on sewing the different components, go to YouTube and search for "Days for Girls sewing."
Here's another video a chapter leader shared.
MENSTRUAL HYGIENE DAY
It's next month--May 28th. Great choice of a symbolic date: 5 (May) represents the typical number of days a period lasts, and 28 for the average days in a cycle. Clever, eh? Here's their website.
Although it doesn't fall on a first Saturday, let's all challenge ourselves to do something for Days for Girls that day. Some suggestions are:
~Make a monetary donation--you can give me a check made out to Days for Girls Eugene.
~Recruit a friend to work with us
~Recruit a donor (tax receipts available)
~Find a business that'll share a day's revenues with us
~Buy something for our chapter:
- Polyester serger or regular thread in dark colors
- Rotary blades (45mm or 60mm)
- Girls' or women's briefs
- Washcloths (dark colors)
- Flannel--the best quality (more absorbent) you can afford, in darker, stain-hiding colors. Remember, no solids, words, camouflage, weapons, people or animals with faces.
- Cotton for shields--dark, busy, stain-hiding prints. Same restrictions as for flannel.
~Work on steps of constructing components--I'll be happy to give you homework. Email me before our May 6 work day so I can bring something for you.
The weekend after May 28 is our June workday, so you can bring me any purchases or homework then.
