For International Women’s Day, I am excited to introduce you to Days For Girls. Last month, I talked about Hope In A Suitcase and their need for toiletry kits to give to the foster children they serve.
This month I wanted to take it a step further because while some toiletry kits encompass overall hygiene (teeth, hair, etc.), there are young women in many countries who have nothing to support them during their monthly cycle.
The statistics around what happens when girls cannot live their daily lives while menstruating are heartbreaking. The Days for Girls site, for example, explains:
Without a solution to manage her monthly cycle:
1 in 10 girls in Sub-Saharan Africa…
113 million adolescent girls in India…
30% of girls in rural Brazil…
will miss school this year.
And we all know what happens when children miss school – future opportunities for success are extremely limited.
Now, I realize that in many places there are also cultural barriers to girls attending school. Create To Donate, however, isn’t the forum to discuss these large scale challenges girls face. I want to focus, instead, on small things we can do to show love to these young girls and women.
What Is Days For Girls?
Founded in 2008, Days for Girls assists, “women and girls to break the cycle of poverty and live lives of dignity.”
Days for Girls not only provides kits with a solution to manage their monthly cycle, but also offers educational and entrepreneurship programs to the populations their serve.
Since its inception, Days for Girls volunteers and enterprises have reached more than one million women and girls around the world.
What’s In A Days For Girls Kit?
Days for Girls offers several versions of their kits to suit different needs. Their basic unit is called a POD or “Portable Object of Dignity,” and they also offer kit that accommodates girls and women with a normal or heavy menstrual flow.
The infographic below showcases the Supreme DfG kit.
If you’re interested in sewing for this worthy cause, you can learn how to work with them here in great detail. It is important to note that their patented patterns are only available to Chapter/Team Leads. So you will need to register to become a part of this initiative.
How Else Can I Support Days For Girls?
If sewing isn’t your thing a Days for Girls kit isn’t up your alley, there are a variety of other ways you can get involved with deserving nonprofit.
Some of these options include:
- distributing DfG kits
- becoming an Impact Partner (if your company or organization is interested in partnering)
- fundraising
- leading expeditions, and
- becoming an Ambassador for Women’s Health
If you read through their whole page, you will see there are a variety of other administrative and creative options to volunteer or even internships as well.
Sew For Charity To Support Girls, Period.
Sewing for charity is a meaningful way to give back to communities in need. When you sew (or volunteer!) for an organization like Days for Girls you are helping to make a profound change in the life of a young girl or woman.