I wrote on my blog a few weeks ago http://thismama.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/cloth-pads-and-school-girls-in-africa/ about how many girls in African countries are unable to go to school because of their cycle each month. There is a great need for reusable sanitary pads and so I have been slowly (but surely) organizing a pad making party.
The Idea: After I finish gathering the needed materials, we will spend a day together making pads which will then be donated and sent to girls in Uganda. My friend Aletha is living in Uganda and has put me in contact with an organization called Dwelling Places that works to remove children from the street. This is a bit of the response from the director,

“Yes, we do have a need for these pads at Dwelling Places. We have a number of girls here in our home in Kampala and in Karamoja . Some of our young girls in Karamoja actually miss school when they are in their periods. It will be a BIG blessing to give them this gift!”

In June, as we travel across the country, I will be delivering the pads to Aletha to take back to Uganda with her.

When: March 26th, 2011 9 am-until we finish!

Where: Beth’s House (Contact me for directions)

Who: We already have many sewing machines and the lovely women who will sew with them. Can’t Sew? Don’t worry, there will be many other things to do. Like sorting materials, cutting out pads, attaching snaps etc.

What we need:
I have quite a bit of fabric already but still need more so here is a list:
Cotton
Flannel
Fleece
Bamboo Velour
Wool (such as old sweaters)
Snaps (and if any one owns or knows someone who does; a snap press would be lovely)
Even if you can’t make it but still would like to contribute some material that would be great. I would like to collect all of the fabric before March 24th, so that I can get it organized.

Now for the those of you who don’t live in my little town but have told me that you would like to contribute or have a party of your own, please contact me and I will give further instructions. I will also be putting up a PDF pattern and tutorial in the next couple of days that we will be using to make the pads. There are many patterns out there but this will be one that I have been tweaking to what I like.

As I have been taking care of the details the past couple of days, the devastation in Japan has been heavy on my mind and heart. This little way to connect with young women in another country suddenly seemed very trivial. But the truth is, small though it is, it still matters. It is still a way to show love to someone who has a need and that is always a good thing. And perhaps as we give this gift, we can be reminded to love and serve those around us every day.