A group of women in Cambridge have started sewing! Sewing for the Days for Girls organisation!
 
What is Days for Girls? Days for Girls is an international non profit organisation trying to create a more dignified, humane and sustainable world for girls living in poverty throughout the world.
 
 
Specifically, Days for Girls volunteers sew. They sew to make personal hygiene sanitary kits to give to girls and women.  Each kit contains a drawstring bag, 2 moisture barrier shields, six absorbent tri fold pads, a Ziploc bag, 2 pairs of panties, a washcloth, visual instructions and travel size soap. 
 
Not having access to sanitary supplies means, days without school for girls, and days without work for women. Giving girls back their days in school will help with their education and help break the cycle of poverty.
 
Founded in 2008, executive director Celeste Morgan was working in orphanages in Kenya, when she asked the question: “What do the girls do for feminine hygiene?” The answer she was given was: “Nothing, they wait in their rooms till it is all over.”
 
Washable, quality hygiene kits give them the chance to continue with their education.  Hence Days for Girls was born and women throughout the world now sew to make the kits for other girls and women in need.
 
The kits are culturally appropriate, easy to dry outside, environmentally friendly, and durable. They last up to 3 years.
Our Cambridge group consist of approximately 15 women who meet in two groups. A daytime sewing group and an evening sewing group. They meet approximately every three weeks.  They bring their own sewing machines and they sew while having fellowship time together.
 
At the moment we are making shields and liners. Rotary Cambridge has funded the initial purchase of fabrics for sewing. We are under the direction of Matamata Rotary leader Lisette Hulme who has been a tremendous help in enabling us to set up our group.  We are working on kits to go to Fiji and to Africa.
 
If you would like to know more about this project, look at the daysforgirls.org website.
 
Every girl and women in the world deserves to have ready, feasible access to quality and sustainable hygiene, health and education.
We hope to be part of a group that is instrumental for social change for women around the world.
 
If you would like to join our Cambridge group or donate to help this group, contact Anne Blewden       anne@lilies.co.nz