Borrego Springs Reaches Out to Rwanda Girls
What if you had to miss school or work because you did not have proper menstrual supplies? How many days per year would you lose in education and wages simply because you got your period? What if no one ever taught you about menstruation or worse: if menstrual taboos and myths made you feel ashamed of your body?
This is the situation for women and girls in Rwanda and affects more than 500 million women and girls worldwide.
Soroptimist + Days for Girls
In March, Soroptimist of Borrego Springs member Kathy Dice will be traveling to Rwanda. And while she is there, she will be taking our cash donations and will order supplies and health education for over 100 girls at the local Rwanda Days For Girls Enterprise.
For over a decade, Days for Girls (DfG) has been working to improve the lives and livelihoods of women and girls in developing countries, providing health education and reusable, sustainable feminine hygiene supplies, which are often hard to come by. Borrego Springs Soroptimists are fundraising in February to bring supplies to 100 young girls in Rwanda.
A Shared Mission to Help Women and Girls
In a remote area near Akagera National Park, Kathy will visit the young women of the local school and arrange for the kit deliveries. Education is a vital component of DfG. By taking classes to schools and community centers, Days for Girls seeks to shatter the shame and stigma associated with menstruation and will allow for the education that young women deserve to do better in the world.
All kits for distribution are sourced from locally owned and operated Days for Girls Enterprises. Sourcing DfG Kits locally TRIPLES our impact by reaching women and girls with DfG Kits, while elevating local leaders and supporting sustainable sewing co-ops.
You Can Help!
Every Days for Girls kit ordered by Soroptimist of Borrego Springs is distributed along with DfG’s health education course. This course is taught by trained, experienced local DfG Certified Health Instructors in Rwanda.
- Women and girls learn how to safely use and care for their DFG washable pads, to prevent infection and care for the pads.
- Women and girls will gain confidence in managing their menstruation so they don’t miss school or days of work.
- Women and girls, as well as men and boys, will be empowered with knowledge about how their bodies work.
If you’d like to donate, visit our donation page, click the drop-down menu and choose “Days for Girls” to direct your donation to this program.
Soroptimist of Borrego Springs is a 501c3 non-profit so all your donations are tax deductible. We’ll be sharing Kathy’s journey as she travels to Rwanda so you can see your impact – stay tuned!