NOVEMBER 2 CELEBRATION

CAN YOU JOIN US?

This Saturday, November 2, is our regular monthly workday.  But, we're also celebrating a couple of birthdays.  First of all, my mother would have been 100 on Saturday.  Second, on Friday, Days for Girls International marks its 11th birthday.  There will be a cake from Sweet Life Patisserie.  We'll have lots of components to work on, and great volunteers to chat with.  Can you join us?  Can you bring a present?  Our wish list is in the October 4th post.  Any/all supplies (or monetary donations) are very welcome, but what we seem to need the most right now is underwear (scroll down to We Are Not Ovaryacting for details).  

If you're available to join us Saturday, please let me know.  If you're on our email list, just reply to the meeting reminder I send out.  

And please be aware that we will NOT meet on December 7, as Our Sewing Room has a special member event occurring that day.

KENYA RENEGES

In 2017 the Kenyan government promised to provide pads/tampons for girls so the lack of such supplies wouldn't be a barrier to attending school.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.  Now, the head of the Education Ministry reports that there are only funds for four months.  This year, they're hoping to have supplies for girls during the testing period, but it looks like perhaps only certain counties will receive those.  Interesting article.  Those funds would go a long way if they bought each girl a Days for Girls kit--and thousands of Kenyans already have them!  Our kits last 3 years or more, with proper care.

MORE ON NEPAL

I've posted before about the harsh treatment of menstruating girls and women in many areas of Nepal.  Chhaupadi was banned in 2005 and since 2017 anyone forcing women into chhaupadi faces a fine or 3 months in jail, but in many areas it continues.  Enjoy this comprehensive article in the Washington Post.

ZAMBIA

Here's an article about reusable pads and school attendance of impoverished girls in Zambia.  There are links at the end to related articles about girls in Malawi, Kenya and Uganda.

DAYS FOR GIRLS VIDEOS

On daysforgirls.org, you can find a link to official videos under the "About Us" heading on the main page.  And if you go on YouTube and search for Days for Girls,  you'll probably find enough videos to enjoy for quite a while.  Keep in mind that the ones on YouTube are not official, and (especially any kit-making directions) are often out of date.  

But, there are many heart-warming, informational videos.  Here's one  from a couple of years ago to start with.  After I showed this one to a group of female teens in Eugene, one said, "I will never complain about my period again!" Grab a cup of coffee, then go to YouTube or to the Days for Girls website links above.  Lots of choices, long and short, including founder Celeste Mergen's Ted talk, in which she shares how this all got started.

A SCHOOL IN TANZANIA

A few years ago, I had a 9:00 am appointment with my new primary care physician.  In chatting to get acquainted,  I told her about my involvement with Days for Girls.  She told me that her 8:30 appointment (also a first-time) patient had set up a school in Tanzania, and we might want to touch bases.  I gave her my card and said I'd welcome contact from that woman.  Juliette, a retired educator, did indeed contact me, and told me about Shikabania, the school she had set up in Tanzania, where students are taught in English from PreK on up.   Previously, students in that area weren't able to attend secondary school, because it was taught in English and their lower level schools weren't.  Her results are amazing.  I just received a report from them, and urge you to read it (below) and support them (Shikabania is the nonprofit) if you can (your donation will be matched!).  Such positive results can occur when you provide what is needed.  Kids completing their education at Shikabania now have the English fluency needed to attend secondary school.

Juliette and I got together 3-4 times before she moved from Drain to California last year, to be closer to family.  I sent shields for the girls and teachers, and the girls learned to sew liners (from the woman who makes their uniforms and with DFG instructions) with some flannel I also sent with Juliette.  

I don't much believe in signs and the like, but there seems to be something strong trying to connect me with Juliette. Those back-to-back doctor appointments for both of us, and the physician paying attention and making connections.  And last week, at Our Sewing Room, I was telling a few people about the school Juliette started.  We hadn't been in touch since she moved many months earlier.  When I got home from Our Sewing Room, there was the email with the report on how well her students were doing.  Serendipity?  But twice?  It gave me chills.  I wrote a check (which will be matched) and sent it to her the next day!  It's so amazing to see all that she's accomplished with Shikabania.

Here's the report I received from Juliette this week:

     We are thrilled to announce the results of the National Exam taken by our 2019 graduating class.  They finished second in our local Meru district (out of 75 schools) and in the top 2% in the country of Tanzania (out of 7,102 schools)! This shows again that kids from all over can love to learn and can succeed! Here is their picture, smiling and enjoying math class. We are so proud of them and will eagerly follow their continuing education. 

 

     In a huge step forward for Shikabania, the newly built staff room has electricity (we now have two rooms with electricity!). In July our board member, Joe Sherer, brought six laptop computers (donated by Squire, Patton Boggs) so the teachers for the first time have access to the Internet and can share materials and documents with each other and with me back in the U.S. Joe came with lots of advice and inspiration for the teachers to use in setting up classroom testing and communicating.

     We continue with more improvements, planning to make more time for the teachers to be in the classroom, for the environment to be prettier, safer and easier to maintain, for the students to have better equipment and healthier meals. 

 

     We added another pilau with meat dish to our lunch menu of organic vegetables and other local foods. Morning porridge also has organic milk from the farm of our Administrator, Max Pallangyo.

 

Morning porridge also has organic milk from the farm of our Administrator, Max Pallangyo.

 

    The muddy areas of the rainy season have been replaced with flower-lined gravel paths, which are delightful to see and a boon to the cleanliness of the school.  I’m sure you would be very proud of your beautiful school!

    In very exciting news, the brand new playground is in full use, with the lower school children having a place to slide and swing and the upper classes a place to play soccer, basketball and volleyball.  (Our board member, Paul Sherer, visited the school this fall with a treasure trove full of balls and jump ropes!)

 

     Also we are very pleased to have received the gift of an excellent microscope for our science program!  Our generous donor brought lesson plans and instruction manuals with her, so we will be expecting to produce many budding scientists.  

 

     We are still hoping to receive funds over and above our operating expenses in order to meet the promise of matching funds up to $50,000 for our endowment, by our donor, Marion Weber and her Flow Fund Circle. 

     Our website, Shikabania.org has been updated and hopefully will be useful and inspirational to our family of donors and potential newcomers. You will find short bios of the staff, ways to help the school, products from our store, and much more.

     The most important thing is the change we see everyday in the happy, eager, smiling children.  We see them blossoming, learning, speaking English, trying hard to please their teachers and parents. They remind us by their efforts that you are making a difference in a widening circle of lives. This seems to me some of the happiest work to do in a struggling world.

     A continuing reminder: The address for donation checks is Juliette Reilly, 82625  62nd Avenue, Thermal. California 92274. Or the website at Shikabania.org.

     With never-ending gratitude for your generosity and all our love from me and the children of Shikabania,   

                             Juliette 

For more information on Juliette and Shikabania, click here, and scroll to pages 6 and 7.


Oh, and if you want to make a donation to Shikabania, keep in mind that as with Days for Girls, donations you make via check go 100% to the nonprofit.  Online donations arrive minus the processing fee--which is usually about 5%.