In Fall of 2013, my mom told me a bit about the Days for Girls organization after she'd heard about it from a friend.
I was really excited about the organization and its purpose - but not nearly as impacted and connected to it as I was after I went to a meeting on April 10th in Orem, Utah where the founder, Celeste Mergens, was present.
I loved the story that Ann Lewis, the Utah Valley Chapter of Days for Girls, shared for the group. She said for everyone to imagine that we were going to a camp in the desert for a month. We could only have what they could carry in - including water. A tent would already be there. We could take just two changes of clothing. But no problem, everyone was in the same situation. When we had our monthly period, we could just go wait in the tent (no problem that it is only 20 degrees hotter in there) with the other women having their period until the cycle was over and then we could go back outside and spend time with the rest of the group. We could wash after the menstrual cycle but needed to use the same water we had carried in for drinking.
Wow - what a powerful visual... and THIS is what so many women throughout the world experience EVERY MONTH! EVERY MONTH girls miss school to stay at home because they are having their period. EVERY MONTH women have to stay home from work for a week while they menstruate.
Celeste shared with me the story of how she started Days for Girls. She shared that she was in another country providing service and bringing them cook stoves that allowed them to cook a staple in their diet without spending all their resources on wood to burn in a fire. After she had gone home, she wrestled with the knowledge that she needed to help them more. After prayer, she received the inspiration that she needed to find out what they were doing for their feminine supplies. To her sheer horror, she learned that in the orphanage, girls were given a piece of cardboard and sat on their bunk for the week of their period. Since they weren't eating much, they didn't need to go to the bathroom much. During additional international trips, she learned that girls were often taken advantage of by teachers in exchange for feminine products so they could stay in school. Women who sold crafts on the beach were so grateful when they were pregnant because then they could keep working instead of needing to take a week off to menstruate.
And here, in America, we take it for granted that we can buy feminine products in a box. They are disposable. We can get them anywhere. Being a female has zero impact on our ability to attend school or to work. Our opportunities are not limited by our gender. Not so in many, many other places in the world.
I am so impressed with Days for Girls and their mission. In fact, I wanted to change my whole platform and focus for my year as Miss Utah International to focus on Days for Girls. We need girls to stay in school. We can break the poverty cycle by keeping girls in school and at work.
ANYONE can volunteer and help with Days for Girls. They need supplies for their kits - you can purchase supplies, and/or make supplies. Youth and adults can really make a difference in the world through Days for Girls. Donating and sponsoring are also ways to help.
If you are looking for a place to make a difference - check out Days for Girls!
I am looking forward to the next chance I have to meet with a group making kits for Days for Girls and I hope that I will have the opportunity to be involved in delivering kits internationally with this organization.
Every Girl. Everywhere. Period.
check out their website:
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