Menstrual Dignity for Refugee Women

As a child, I remember playing a game called "telephone." One person would whisper a word, and each subsequent person would whisper that word to the next person until the final person said the word aloud. Without fail, the final word said aloud would be completely different than what we started with and laughter would ensue. The basic lesson of the game? Go straight to the source! No one can represent your truth like you yourself!

This is at the core of Days for Girls - let girls speak their own truth. So, when our team arrived at the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement in northern Uganda this past July, they did not take pause at the comments of a local government offical: "But why didn't you bring disposable pads? Those are the best ones!". No, the team did not stop there. They continued on to meet the Program Coordinators, the teachers at 5 schools, and the girls themselves. What they found were girls who weren't afraid to state their needs loud and clear, who welcomed the DfG washable Kits because they recognized the money saved, the trash reduced, and the pride of owning a unique and beautifully made pad. 

In partnership with a Texas Chapter of Days for Girls, and the LDS Church, the DfG Uganda team distributed 2,110 DfG Kits to girls and women in the refugee settlement. Throughout the health education sessions that accompanied the distribution, they got to know the girls, engaged in lively question & answer sessions, and even posed for some celebratory photos after the training. While advocates at organization and goverment levels are so important for connecting girls to resources, at the end of the day there is nothing that replaces a girl's ability to speak for herself. And we look forward to continuing to listen, learn from, and love the girls we serve. Stay tuned for more distributions, evaluations, and enterprise projects at refugee settlements throughout East Africa and beyond!