Today's Lessons Learned

1. Don't wait till the last minute to ship a package. 'Cause you'll end up paying half your salary in postage.

Yeah. That's what I did today. I've been working on an order of 60 Days for Girls kits (I shipped 30 of them), and I just finished the last of the liners and packaged this morning. In my infinite wisdom, I was thinking, "I know the deadline is today, but SURELY the trip isn't until next week."  Uh... yeah... well... I was WRONG! The trip is tomorrow. So how much does 26 lbs from Georgia to Virginia cost with FedEx Overnight..... $196. Ouch! But the cashier was really nice and helpful and seemed very interested in DFG. Maybe I recruited a new volunteer.

2. Good things happen.

I got an email from my boss today asking if I had submitted an article about DFG Georgia to a local organization of Atlanta churches. I had not. But, lo and behold, their weekly newsletter said this:

Every Girl in the world deserves education, safety, and dignity is the motto of Days for Girls. A Days for Girls Chapter has been organized in Georgia, in Decatur. Find out about this organization at  http://www.daysforgirls.org/#!    And contact the Georgia Chapter at lmessiah@bellsouth.net

Good things also happen because within 5 minutes of shipping that invaluable package, I have three kind folks who agreed to help pay for it.

So here's the very first shipment of 30 kits from Days for Girls Georgia:

30 girls lives changed for the better! Way to go DFG Georgia! I'm so proud.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

This was a great day.

Last week, a group requested 60 DFG kits to go to Niger. The catch? They need them by THIS week! On super short notice, I informed our volunteers, but many had previous engagements. I ended up with myself and two other adults cutting and sewing liners and drawstring bags.

Jody did a great job seaming up the sides of the bags I had prepared at home, and then we had a few kids and their mom who dropped in for a bit threading the drawstrings into the bags. Jody had the idea at our last meeting to use a crochet hook to pull the strings through, but alas, we forgot them. But the kids came up with their own system! They taped two coffee stirring straws together and pushed the strings through. I love inventive kids!

The three of us (and various children) worked from about 1pm until 3pm when one of our adults had to leave. Myself and Tegan decided to keep pushing.... and we worked until 6pm! My sister even showed up the last hour with dinner, drinks, and to lend a hand helping the kids finish threading the bags.

At the end of the day, we had ready for distribution 40 bags and 160 liners. Combined with the kits we had pre-assembled at our last meeting, we now have 26 kits that are 100% ready to ship, two that just need the liners serged on the outside, and 12 more awaiting inserts. I plan to cut those out today and start serging to have them ready to ship to Virginia on Wednesday!

Thanks to EVERYONE who made this endeavor a reality for me, and most importantly, for the girls who will receive the kits.

Because EVERY girl in the world deserves education, safety, and dignity.

THIS SUNDAY!

We have been asked to fulfill an order for sixty kits by next Wednesday. We will meet THIS SUNDAY (April 15th) at:
Lutheran Church of the Messiah
465 Clairemont Ave.
Decatur, GA 30030

12:30pm- 3:30pm (ish)

Bring a smile and a sharp pair of scissors! We will have two sergers and one sewing machine, so if you are able to sew, feel free to bring your machine as well.

Kits Needed!

We need 60 kits, minus soap and panties, ready to ship to Virginia by April 18th. Can you help?

Lutheran Church of the Messiah Welcomes Days for Girls

Last month, the women (and men!) of Lutheran Church of the Messiah in Decatur, Georgia participated in two days of sewing for Days for Girls. They were able to fully complete 12 kits (and 90% complete 55 more!) for girls who would otherwise go without.

Days for Girls is an international non-profit organization that reaches out to girls across the globe in a very personal way- providing hygiene kits. Each kit contains: a washcloth, underwear, soap, safety pins, and reusable cloth menstrual supplies. This kit costs approx. $8 in supplies and a half hour's time for the seamstress, but to the girl receiving it- it is priceless. It gives her 3-5 days of school back EVERY month. Along with the kit, she receives hygiene education from volunteers and/or nurses. She gains confidence in herself and loses some of the shame associated with "the curse" each month.

Each kit is estimated to last a girl for three years. Consider giving a few hours to sewing or collecting supplies for Days for Girls. It could add 81 days of education for a girl.

Days for Girls Georgia Chapter will be meeting monthly at Messiah to organize, plan, sew, assemble, and ship kits (not necessarily in that order!). Please contact Days for Girls, Georgia if you would like to host a sewing event, donate to Days for Girls, or if you have a group visiting an area in need of kits.

How Does Menstruation Affect Girls Worldwide?

Here's a topic that we do not hear much about- menstruation. Yet, every month, it happens. It happens to women in every income level and every country. So what happens to women in extreme poverty? In particular- what happens to YOUNG women in extreme poverty?

There are young women across the globe with inadequate access to sanitary supplies. Each month, these girls miss many days of school because they are unable to attend due to lack of supplies. In many places, girls are even exploited- forced to do unspeakable things in exchange for menstrual products.

How has it come to this? That I cannot answer. Periods have been visiting women as long as women have been. I'm interested in knowing what these girls' ancestors used for menstrual hygiene, though I suspect that missing school wasn't always an issue.

Regardless of the hows and whys, these girls are suffering. These girls need an education, they need empowerment and rights. They need EVERY day to follow their dreams, not just three weeks out of the month.