2022 has been a busy year for our Louisville Days for Girls Team. We are now partnering with Highland Presbyterian Church’s STITCH program. We are using their beautiful sewing center every Monday from 10-2 making sustainable (washable) period products for women and girls around the world.

We traveled with All Peoples members on a trip to visit the Cofán People of Ecuador in September. Our Louisville sewing team made 100 period kits, and we purchased 100 kits from an Ecuadorian Days for Girls enterprise. We traveled from Louisville to Quito Ecuador by air, then11 hours from Quito to Dureno by van, then about 4 hours to Zappalo by motorized canoe. We distributed the kits in 2 communities. We used native speakers to translate the Days for Girls education session. The women were most surprised when they realized that the kits would last for 3 years. That is a lot of savings, a lot less trouble to access, and better for the environment than using disposable pads.  We heard many positive comments about the kits after the distributions. Thanks to the many helping hands from All Peoples that day we assembled and packed those kits out back of the farmhouse last summer!

In addition to the 100 kits we took to Ecuador, we have made components for about 150 kits that have been sent to our regional distribution in Pittsburg.  Most of these components are on their way to Boliva, where DfG International intends to distribute 10,000 kits.

Our latest and current project is local distribution. We are working with the Louisville Metro Jail, to provide kits and eduction to women when they are released from the facility. We are working on a partnership with Americana Community Center, to provide kits and monthly education classes to women at the center.

One of our goals for 2023 is to incease participation from All Peoples membership. There are many, many things people can do to help make these kits that do not require sewing skills, such as cutting, ironing, folding, sorting, and helping with fundraising. Everyone is welcome!

Team Leader, Louisville Days for Girls