St John’s member are supporting Days for Girls, a global non-profit providing for the feminine hygiene of girls worldwide. Learn more below.
Days for Girls began in 2008 when Founder and CEO Celeste Mergens was working with a family foundation in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya where she began assisting an orphanage. In the wake of historic post-election violence, the population at the orphanage had swelled from 400 children to 1,400.
As she was getting prepared to return to Nairobi, Celeste went to bed with the devastating situation weighing heavy on her mind. In the middle of the night, she woke up with a nagging question: “What are girls doing for feminine hygiene?” Seeking an answer, she ran to the computer and sent an email to the Assistant Director of the orphanage.
He replied right away, “Nothing. They wait in their rooms.”
Celeste learned that girls were sitting on cardboard for several days each month, often going without food unless someone would bring it to them. This set in motion her first intervention – disposable pads. But Celeste and her team quickly discovered a major problem – without any place to dispose of the pads, this was neither a viable nor a sustainable solution. It was time for Plan B: a washable, long-lasting pad.
Today, Days for Girls has reached more than one million women and girls in 125+ countries with DfG Kits and menstrual health education. This translates into over 115 million days of dignity, health, and opportunity!
What’s in a DfG Kit?
1. Drawstring bag so each girl can carry her bag to school. Comfort, style and durability matter because this Kit will be an accessory of hers for up to 3 years. 100% woven cotton or cotton/poly, darker colors with no faces, eyes, insects, snakes, camouflage, cartoons, flags or suggestive words. Material needed for one bag; 12”x30”. One per kit.
2. Moisture barrier shields. Hold liners comfortably in place while stopping leaks. Shields are leak-proof because of a moisture-proof lining sewn inside called PUL. 100% good quality cotton, darker colors with no faces, eyes, insects, snakes, camouflage, cartoons, flags or suggestive words. Material needed for one shield; 20”x8.5”. Two shields per kit.
3. Absorbent tri-fold pads/liners. Soft flannel liners are super absorbent when tri-folded like a letter, and can be layered for extra coverage. 100% good quality flannel darker colors with no faces, eyes, insects, snakes, camouflage, cartoons, flags or suggestive words. Material needed for one liner; 9”x15”. Eight liners per kit.
4. Day-Sac. Effective for transporting soiled items. Made with polyurethane laminate fabric (PUL), dark colors. Material needed for one sac, 10”x12”. One sac per kit.
5. Washcloth. One per kit
6. Travel-sized Soap. Soap is travel-sized to save transport weight. One per kit.
7. 2 pairs of panties. Many girls do not have underwear, and need them in order to use pads (Girls’ size 10 – 14). Two per kit.
8. Care & Use Sheet/ Menstrual Chart
Please contact Amy Monson if you would like more information or would like to help with this project. 859 356-7921 amymagdic@gmail.com