IMPURE AND UNTOUCHABLE

ANOTHER GIRL DIES IN CHHAUPADI HUT

Now another girl  in Nepal  has died after being bitten by a poisonous snake while she was banished to the chhaupadi hut during her period . . . even though it's now illegal.

FUNDRAISING TO PUT A STOP TO THIS

Recently I received this timely post in an email from DFG's Director of Enterprise projects.

The Power of Local Leadership
By Sarah Webb - Enterprise Projects Director

Lila leads a focus group with women in Siuna

“It is the right of women all over the globe to be allowed to integrate into their society. In order to change this, it is important to change the practice of chhaupadi,” states Lila, the Days for Girls Kalikot Project Manager as she  smiles proudly.

At the core of the Shattering the Shame Project supported by you is an emphasis on developing local leadership. Leaders like Lila who, together with her strong team of eight local women, are working to change the narrative about menstruation. Through women’s circles, health training, community awareness campaigns, and meetings with local leaders, the Kalikot Trainers are shifting the way their community sees menstruation.

This has not been an easy jog.  The Kalikot Trainers hike DfG Kits into some of the most remote hills of mid-Western Nepal, to reach communities that are often left behind and forgotten. For many women and girls, the Kalikot Trainers present the first formal training on menstrual and reproductive health that their community has ever seen. During follow-up visits this spring, women voiced their gratitude to the local leaders and your support. They told stories about being able to stay in school during menstruation, start conversations with their families about menstruation and chhaupadi, and newfound feelings of pride about being female.

Shukla, a DfG Trainer from Sipkhana, started with the Shattering the Shame Project early on and over the course of her time with Days for Girls, she has transformed into a confident and powerful leader in her community.

“Days for Girls have brought a lot of changes in my life…. health training and kit distribution for menstruation management can bring a huge change in rural places like ours. I want to thank Days for Girls because they have given me this opportunity to work as trainer in very young age, which I can utilize all my life.”

Thanks to your support, the Shattering the Shame Project will be able to mobilize local leaders to change the narrative about menstruation from shame to celebration. These local leaders are ready to charge ahead. And we can’t wait to see what they accomplish!

If you're interested in donating to help with this project in Nepal, here's the link for donations.

SAVE A PIECE OF CARDBOARD

Remember a few months ago when we made (with the help of some other chapters) 250 transport bags, the alternative to Ziplocs for girls in Kenya (where plastic bags are now illegal)?  I think we all agreed that they were a pain in the neck to make.

Well, the transport bags have been redesigned.  

And I think you'll hate them less--or maybe even enjoy making them.  Most of the stitching is done on a 4-thread serger.  

One of the steps involves slipping a piece of cardboard inside.  I found that part of a cereal box works well, and that including the corner fold creases makes insertion a breeze.

So, if a few of you have a box you can cut down and donate, here's what we need:  9.5" by at least 8".  Thanks!

NEXT WORKDAY

Our next workday is Saturday, July 7th, at Our Sewing Room,  I'll be ready to hand out jobs at 10:00.  We're there until around 4:00, so come for however much time works for you.  If you have a serger or sewing machine, please bring it.  (I think this month there will be more need for serging than sewing--but still lots of both).  If  you aren't sewing or serging expert, we have many other tasks--pressing, cutting, pinning, etc.  Everything is necessary and appreciated.  We can keep everybody busy.

Our Sewing Room has a fridge you can use if you bring your lunch, and many delightful places to eat nearby.

I'll send out an email reminder a few days before.  Please let me know if you're coming this month.  (No need to respond if you're not).  

Hope to see you there!

 

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

PLEASE CHECK YOUR WORK

It's so disappointing to find that somebody's put in a lot of time and effort, and didn't notice that something was not right.  When you sit down to sew or serge, there are several things it's helpful to check--thread color, stitch length, tension, seam allowance, etc.  You might even need to remove some of the lint that gathers "downstairs" in your sewing machine or serger.  Then after you've sewn a few inches, check your work--is everything coming together the way you'd like it to?  Please continue to ascertain that all's well as  you go along!

I've just been spending a bunch of time removing the topstitching on a large batch of pocket strips.  The machine's tension was messed up, and the stitching wasn't the least bit secure--you could easily pull the thread out.  

As I do that, I'm noticing that the strips weren't always pressed exactly in half.  This is also a problem because our sewers are using a scant 1/4" seam allowance and if the raw edges aren't even, that pocket may not have both fabric ends securely caught in the seam.

So, just a reminder to make quality control an ongoing part of your work.

And if you're one of the many folks pinning and sewing flannel strips together for liners, please resist the urge to sew 2 or more shorter strips to a longer one.  It inevitably means seam ripping to be able to use all the fabric.  Seam ripping on flannel? Not my favorite task!

There are always leftovers that we'll have to deal with, but for most of our strips, we should be able to match up narrow and wide strips that are cut from the same length of fabric, so they should match up exactly.  If you're doing that and they're off the same bolt, the colors also will be perfect--no wondering if this coordinates with that.

THREAD COLORS

What I do hope you'll worry about matching, though, is the thread!  We have so much polyester thread--this should ALWAYS match the fabric!  Never use light-colored thread, or "close enough," to avoid changing the thread on your machine.  As I've said before, I'd rather have ten perfect items than 100 that aren't so great.

We occasionally receive shields and liners that have been sewn with light-colored thread.  The lighter the thread, the more obvious stains will be, and we want to avoid that.  

Please use only medium or dark polyester thread, whether sewing or serging.  We have lots of thread I bring to Our Sewing Room, so it's easy to match the color with what you're working on.  Please let me know if you notice that we're getting low on a particular color.

I'd rather you take the time to change thread colors and sew fewer items, than to have more made with thread that doesn't coordinate or is light colored.

The exception to "no light thread" is the serging around the 4 sides of our rectangles of bag fabric.  These will end up on the inside of the drawstring bags and won't show.  Matching thread would be absolutely delightful, but using a light color here is OK.

GOOD ENOUGH

There's been a recent flurry of discussion in our DFG Leaders Facebook group about "good enough" or changing some of the guidelines.  Here are a few comments:  

It’s not about what the girls are supposed to appreciate. It’s about what they deserve. They deserve the best we can do for them, they deserve to feel special, they deserve to receive the same new quality item you or I would expect.

I know that when you first begin, it is tempting to think, “a girl in a third world country who has nothing will appreciate ANYTHING.” However, the standards and the wisdom grow on you, and I sort of feel protective of them. DFG is not the only show in town. There are plenty of other groups who have generous hearts, but who do not share the same values of high quality and cultural sensitivity. 

And, some of you may remember this statement on our Eugene Chapter's orange handout:

These kits may be the nicest things the girls ever receive.  We strive to make them beautiful and perfect in every way.  Thank you so much for helping with attention to detail.

500 MILLION FEMALES

Here's a great article from Real Simple.  The more we read and talk about and work on this issue, the more attention it gets, the more kits we make . . . the more these problems will be a thing of the past.

FAST COMPANY

Here's a well-done article about Days for Girls and where we are after nearly 10 years.

OUR ENTERPRISE MODEL

Days for Girls Enterprises are in over 15 countries.  Enterprises enable women and men to meet hygiene needs in their own communities, through making and selling Days for Girls kits at an affordable price.  Enterprises sell to local women, as well as to NGOs, government ministries, schools, etc., and retain all the profits to reinvest in more materials, as well as earning a modest income.

You can read about the DFG Enterprise model  here.  

As I mentioned in the last post, a friend has offered to take a suitcase of supplies with her when she goes to Kenya for a safari in a few weeks.  I've been emailing back and forth with the leader of the DFG enterprise in Nairobi.  I hope it is a fun "package" for the group there to open--it's been enjoyable for me to put it together for them.  I'm hoping to include a few fun surprises.

LOOKING FOR SUITCASES

With volunteers taking supplies to several countries in the next few months, I'm on the lookout for wheeled suitcases that can make a one-way trip--be handed off at the destination airport (or two-way if the traveller plans to buy things to bring home).  The maximum combined measurement is 62".  If you have an extra one taking up space in your home, consider sending it abroad with our colorful Days for Girls supplies! Maybe you can grab a suitcase at a bargain price at a yard sale or thrift shop.  It may weigh up to 50 pounds when filled, so the wheels and a sturdy telescoping handle are important.

Coming up soon--suitcases flying to New Zealand, Kenya and Beijing!  Plus I'm packing boxes to be mailed to a chapter and a team  needing help in Puerto Rico.  Imagine still trying to meet need for kits when it's hard to get supplies, AND your electricity comes and goes.

JOIN US!

Our next workday will be Saturday, July 7, at Our Sewing Room.  Come anytime between 10:00 and 4:00.  Scroll back through previous posts for what to bring, where to park, where to eat, etc.!

 Days for Girls Enterprise programs are in over 15 countries. Enterprises support women and men to meet hygiene needs in their own communities, through making and selling DfG Kits at an affordable price. Enterprises sell to other women, NGOs, schools, and government ministries, and retain all the income they earn to reinvest in more materials for more Kits. This is one important way Days for Girls supports sustainability.