STAY HEALTHY, PLEASE!

PERIOD POVERTY IN KENYA

Nice article in Aljazeera about period poverty in Kenya.

TV COVERAGE OF A DAYS FOR GIRLS CHAPTER

Please ignore the Jerry Springer (!) commercial at the beginning of the news piece.  I spied a reddish print in a shield that we've used in ours.  Several times a week? I'm very impressed.

NO TAMPON TAX?

Interesting article from the BBC.  The tax was supposedly used to benefit groups supporting vulnerable girls and women . . . but that means only menstruating women were supporting these efforts, rather that the population as a whole.

NO MARCH AND APRIL WORKDAYS 

This nasty Covid-19 is disrupting so much.  I hope that we citizens can keep ourselves and our germs away from each other so that it really can't get the foothold they're expecting.   We can do our part by not getting physically close to each other when that is an option.  And, skipping some workdays IS a smart option.  We now know we won't be meeting at least until after April.  Stay tuned, please.

This morning, I received an email from Celeste Mergens, Days for Girls founder and CEO.  I share it with you:  

Dear Days for Girls family, We hope this message finds you well. As a global health organization, the safety of communities and all Days for Girls volunteers, team members, supporters is very important to us. While coronavirus (COVID-19)* continues to impact us all, we wanted to take a moment to reach out and share our ongoing commitment to best health practices. Effective immediately, all DfG volunteer community events around the world are advised to be paused or postponed until after April 30th. This includes Chapter and Team sew and assembly days, and events, though people may continue to serve at home privately. In addition, Days for Girls is closely monitoring and following the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO), to ensure that we are doing our part as responsible global citizens. We urge you to do the same and follow all travel and public gathering guidelines given by your local public health and other relevant agencies.

Take everyday precautions: Stay home if you’re sick… at all.  If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early.  Stay informed and follow the advice given by your healthcare provider. Take everyday preventive actions: Wash and encourage others to wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place. We are global champs at this, let’s put that expertise to work and set an example. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 70% alcohol. To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something. Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public places. Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc. Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs: practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks & cell phones). Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Your risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19 may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air circulation especially if there are people in the crowd who are sick. Avoid all non-essential travel including plane trips. If COVID-19 is spreading in your community, take extra measures to put distance between yourself and other people to further reduce your risk of being exposed to this new virus. Stay home as much as possible. Consider ways of getting food brought to your house through family, social, or commercial networks. As this unfolds, we will all be making adjustments to the way we live, work, and volunteer. Let’s work together for the good of all. Should you have any questions or concerns about a specific upcoming event or activity, please reach out to your regional representative or direct supervisor. We are committed to working together to support one another through this rapidly evolving situation. Let’s be champion hand washers and have good courage. With precautions, we can help keep more people well and soon things will return to normal and we’ll enjoy shared larger gatherings again. Stay safe. You matter. With gratitude, Celeste Mergens and the Days for Girls team Mary and Lynne, Days for Girls Australia Terri-Lynn and Louise, Days for Girls Canadian Society Helen, Days for Girls New Zealand Jane, Days for Girls UK Katy, Days for Girls USA *To learn about COVID-19 we ask you to visit the FAQ compiled by WHO or your local equivalent.