Local group sells masks to fund work
Pre COVID-19, a group of volunteers met two Fridays each month at a church south of Nottawa to sew reusable hygienic menstrual kits for girls in need. They are the South Georgian Bay team of Days for Girls (DFG), an international organization with volunteers in 190 countries. Most recently, the local team, led by co-chairs Chris Weston and Helen Harper, had prepared 165 kits for shipment to Haiti. Then came the pandemic.
Immediately, the semi-monthly sewing bees came to a halt, as did shipment of the completed kits. Weston posed a question on Facebook: Should the group pivot to making Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
The proprietor of a wine business in Collingwood ordered a few masks for personal use, then requested more to sell in her shop. The first order sold out in hours. DFG South Georgian Bay is now shipping approximately 50 masks per week to that store, and has created a network of distributors throughout the area. Masks are sold for $10 each, or three for $20. The group is also donating PPE to local hospitals, hospices and long term care homes. To date, they have shipped more than 1,000 masks and 80 to 100 gowns. Not only are they filling a need in the community, this has become a successful fundraiser, allowing Days for Girls to continue with their core mission.
The World Health Organization estimates that at least 500 million girls and women throughout the world lack access to adequate facilities for managing their periods. The results can be devastating. Often, girls who are forced to isolate and miss school for several days each month eventually drop out, leaving them vulnerable to poverty, exploitation and early marriage. In addition to providing reusable, hygienic supplies, DFG provides education about anatomy and menstrual health delivered by local leaders. The goal is to shatter the stigmas and limitations associated with menstruation. Part of the group’s mandate is development of local enterprises with women sewing and selling kits made from locally sourced materials, and being trained to provide the educational component of the program.
Since the launch of Days for Girls in 2008, more than 1.7 million kits have been distributed. Each kit consists of a colourful outer bag, two moisture barrier shields, eight tri-fold liners, two pair of underwear, a washcloth, soap and instruction sheet. With proper care, they are expected to last approximately three years. Working with reputable aid agencies such as World Vision, kits are distributed wherever there is need, typically the result of poverty, war or natural disasters. Roughly half the kits are shipped to Africa; about one quarter go to South East Asia. Five per cent go to women in developed countries including Canada and the U.S. As Harper points out, the need doesn’t stop for a pandemic.
To order masks and support the ongoing work of Days for Girls, visit their Facebook page, DFG South Georgian Bay Team, or contact one of their local distributors: Wendy Schellenberg in Creemore 705-466-5221 or Lesley Huffman in Stayner, 705-795-5027.
Bonnie MacPherson photo: Days for Girls South Georgian Bay Co-chairs Chris Weston (left) and Helen Harper with colourful face masks the group is selling to fund core mission.
