by Kiwiana Ngabung – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
It may seem a bit awkward and uncomfortable for a girl as she reaches puberty. So it is important to help her understand the changes during this stage of her life and embrace them. That is the mission of Days for Girls International.
Days for Girls International is an organisation that helps girls and young women around the world have access to feminine hygiene and health education. So far they have reached girls and women in well over 100 countries and aim to help a million girls and women by the end of this year.
Helping them reach their goal is Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Medical Ships, who have been implementing the Days for Girls program in Papua New Guinea.
Days for Girls kit.Source: Days for Girls
YWAM has been distributing Days for Girls kits as part of its community engagement program. The kits are handmade bags filled with soap, washcloth, liners and other items used for hygiene. The kits are made to last up to three years. Coupled with the kits are education sessions by trained YWAM volunteers on related topics, which allows for sharing information among women and girls in a community.
YWAM PNG Community Engagement Team Leader, Erin Ford, feels very strongly about the Days for Girls program, saying it is a major necessity for girls entering puberty and throughout womanhood.
“Most women use cloth. I recall one young girl state that she finds it uncomfortable to do sports as the cloth moves around. Other young women may not go to school due to not having adequate protection. So the impact of having Days for Girls kits for each village is huge.”
She adds that they (YWAM) appreciate the assistance of people in this program.
“In the past year, our teams have been able to give out over 1,000 of these kits in remote PNG communities. We are so grateful to the people whose donations have made this possible.”
As the team continues to visit rural areas in PNG for outreach, they’ll need more kits to distribute. Any individual or group willing to assist by sewing the kits or donating is appreciated. For more information contact YWAM Medical Ships on phone + 61 7 4771 2123 or email info@ywamships.org
