Period Poverty is a public health issue that many pretend does not exist...deliberately or otherwise.  UNICEF reports that 1 in 10 girls misses school due to lack of sanitary pads.  In other parts of the world, it is 1 out of every 5 girls.  For many girls in developed countries, having your monthly period comes with its challenges, however none that means you have to miss on average 7 days of school because you don't have access to sanitary pads or tampons.  Access to sanitary pads is a human right often denied to girls.  Many girls in under-resourced communities are often marginalized just for being born a girl.  Period Dignity Period is a Dangwa Empowerment Center's initiative to end Period Poverty in the marginalized communities.  We do this in partnership with The MoonCatcher which is a game changer in keeping girls in school.

Girls we work with are often burdened with cultural norms that leave them vulnerable such as being married off at a young age, being denied access to education just because society the grow up in believes it is better to educate a boy than a girl; being engaged in household chores before leaving for school most of them often walking as far as 10 miles to fetch water.  For those fortunate enough to go to school are often left behind in education, sports or other activities for lack of menstrual management accessories.  Some communities resort to using cow dung, old rags, cotton, wild leaves or banana leaves or mud.  One can only imagine the medical conditions that can befall these girls and women.

Local women are taught how to make MoonCatchers and given all the materials they need, including sewing machines, which are then distributed to girls at no cost to the girls.  We have seen an improvement in girls attending school, confidence and self-esteem boost, girls are engaging in sports and other extra-curricula activities.