Happiness is.. Days for Girls

A couple of weeks ago, my friend, Shelley Gordon, asked if I might be able to volunteer at some workshops she was hosting.  Here's what her message said:

Hi Yvette! Hope you are doing well. I wanted to invite you to come to our Days for Girls kit making team days. Days for Girls is a nonprofit who makes feminine hygiene kits for girls around the world who would otherwise miss school due to lack of supplies. The kits last 3 years which gives a girl back 6 months of school. I have started the Superior CO team and we are making 100 kits to go to Ghana this summer. Sewers and non-sewers are welcome as we have jobs for both. Jim and I took 91 kits to Tanzania when we went and I did the education program at a school there. It was an amazing experience.

In my usual sure-I'll-volunteer-some-day-when-I-have-more-time attitude, I was very non-committal, but asked if I could drop in for a little while.  I fall into the 'non-sewer' category..  That's one who does not sew..  Not to be confused with someone who doesn't live in the sewers like Ninja turtles.

When I walked into Shelley's home I saw stacks of brightly colored fabric cut neatly and ready for assembly. Shelley gave me a little of the history of Days for Girls..  she told me how in some cultures girls are separated from others and quietly sit on cardboard or rocks, basically excluded from society, while having their periods.

Geez. There were some pretty awful stories about what girls have to go through. It's funny how we don't know how lucky we have it here in the US.  I never once thought to be grateful for feminine hygiene supplies!

Thanks to a lot of volunteers like Shelley, kits are being created that provide girls with washable, brightly colored liners and shields, underwear, and soap, so that girls are able to continue to go to school and interact normally with others when they have their periods.

One quote from the Days for Girls Website that I love because it's very "Agile" is:

Developing the DfG Kit has been a labor of love. We've gone through 27 iterations, incorporating feedback from thousands of women and girls around the globe in the design process.

(I'm an "Agile coach" and one of things we teach is to "iterate," get feedback and keep improving!)

Even though I didn't do any sewing, I did help with some pinning of fabrics and told Shelley I would help spread the word.  I was very impressed and in admiration for all the work that's being done to help these girls.

If you want to help, leave a comment and I'll put you in touch with Shelley.  Or check out the Days for Girls site and find out how you can get involved.