Days for Girls
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Today is my mom’s birthday. In addition to being smart and beautiful, she also happens to sew. Despite my supreme obstinance as a child, she also managed to teach me to sew, so obviously I appreciate what was I’m sure an admirable effort on her part.
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(my mom, sporting an awesome handmade dress, above. we can discuss my dad's bow tie or why she matches the curtains some other time)
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Lately, my mom has been using her sewing skills to sew for an international non-profit organization called Days for Girls that provides girls with handmade, reusable feminine hygiene kits so they can go to school instead of staying home when they’re having their periods. Without access to feminine supplies, girls in impoverished communities are missing significant portions (the estimate is about 5 lost days per month) of their education each year; the overall goal is to break the cycle of poverty by providing supplies and education to girls in over 75 countries around the world so they can stay in school. If you want to read more about what they do and how they do it, the Days for Girls website is quite informative.
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Mom’s been working toward her goal of making 63 reusable shields by her 63rd birthday (today!) to send along with her church group to El Salvador. As you can see, at the time of these photos she was making good progress. These shields will get snaps so they’ll stay put and then go in a kit along with a bunch of other stuff including panties and reusable pads that fit inside the shields. Pretty nifty right?
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I’m super proud of my mom for getting involved in such an awesome cause. Days for Girls can always use more volunteers, fabric, or funds, so if you’re interested getting involved, either by sewing for or donating fabric, you can get in touch with your local chapter. There’s quite an impressive number of volunteer chapters around the world (my mom’s one of the Snohomish, WA team leaders *looks proud*). You can also donate directly to Days for Girls or sign up for their newsletter if you like.
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Happy Birthday, Mumsy!!!