Brooks
“What is
the absolute biggest need
in all of Liberty School,” I asked teacher Marie. She matter of factly
and without hesitation, answered, “Sanitary pads for the girls.” Why I
hadn’t thought of this before, I don’t know. It’s common knowledge that
many girls in Africa must either quit school altogether or be out for a
week when their period comes. It is a source of great embarrassment and
frustration for them with no hope of ever having money enough to spend
on something so “frivolous” and expensive as disposable pads. Sadly,
girls use leaves, mattress stuffing, newspaper, corn husks, rocks,
anything they can find…but still miss up to two months of school every
year. Shockingly, this one issue is one of the keys to social change for
girls. Why? Because when girls can stay in school it helps to stop the
cycle of poverty!
Our daughter Sarah had enthusiastically sent me a link
(daysforgirls.com) last year regarding this same issue. When I
approached her, she was more than willing to help me make 24 sanitary
pad kits for the older girls to test at Liberty School. Three months
later, kits in hand, I sat in a circle of 24 girls, where we discussed
this rather awkward subject…incredibly awkward for them because of my
not being a peer, not to mention being a mzungu. But once at ease, that I
was just like them and had even once been a girl who on having my first
period thought surely I must be bleeding to death from some horrific
disease, the girls talked quite freely…about issues such as hygiene, the
reproductive cycle, sex, and, of course, their monthly period. For
these village girls to receive a beautiful string bag (thank you,
Sandee), four pads, one liner, plastic bags, soap, a washcloth (thank
you Sarah, Katie and Ben)…all new, and something that would change their
lives was such a shock. I wish you could have seen them. NEVER had they
heard of such a thing and NEVER did they think they might have a way to
cope with this sensitive and upsetting subject.
The very next day several of the girls dragged another younger girl
who had been in our circle over to me. Somewhat self-conscious, but
nevertheless anxious to talk with me, she told me that she was already
using the pads. She was especially excited because not only could she
attend class the day before, but also, she was able to go on the field
trip with the rest of the school that day…that in itself a first for any
of the students…and something she would have missed, all because there
was no way for her to deal with her monthly cycle.
Encouraged by one after the other of the girls coming up and saying,
“Thank you, thank you!” over and over and over again, I am hopeful that
next Spring we will be able to make and take enough of the kits for each
of the girls and each of the female teachers in Liberty School. Beyond
that, I dream that one day there will be a small center where women will
be taught how to make and sell these kits to women in their community,
benefitting not only women and girls monthly, but also financially
sustaining the women who are sewing and selling them. Hard to believe,
but this one thing – a disposable sanitary pad – could change the face
of women, and therefore, families in many developing countries, and in
particular, our beloved Africa!
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