We teach young girls and women how to make their own affordable, re-usable sanitary pads and provide essential health education. We aim to empower females through education, help break taboos and provide full support to girls wishing to make the pads as a business.
COMFORT DAYS FOR GIRLS AT A GLANCE
A Bit of Background
Here at Comfort Days for Girls, we are driven by a single goal: the promotion of equality through empowerment and education. We believe simple and small steps can have a large and powerful effect.
Our initiative aims to educate women on reproductive/menstrual health, dispel myths and provide a practical solution to the lack of sanitary products.
Currently in Malawi, disposable and reusable pads are available but unaffordable for many women and girls. Initiatives and programmes donate pads, but still miss some of the poorest members of society. The reality - most women and girls are forced to use old cloths that are ineffective. We provide a simple solution: we teach the girls how to make their own beautiful affordable super absorbent re-usable pad.
What we do
Helping the Community
Our decision making process is driven by the needs of local communities in Malawi. We work with small community youth groups and schools who have little or no access to sanitary products. Our method is simple:
Step 1: Skill Acquisition. Girls are taught how to hand stitch and use a sewing machine
Step 2: Making the Pads. Step-by-step girls are taken through how to make a re-usable sanitary pad with volunteers. The girls can make as many as they wish
Step 3: Education. We deliver education on; the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, contraception and sexual health
Step 4: Questions. We create an open and safe environment where girls can ask any questions they like regarding women’s/sexual health. An “Ask anything” book is left with the group/school/community, where we invite individuals to write down any questions they have in the book.
Step 5: Business Support. We promote and fully support any individual that wishes to make the pads to create their own business. We give advice and try to help make their production as profitable as possible.
With access to the right resources, people can become empowered by their own abilities and gain the confidence to fulfill their potential.
Womens Health in Malawi
Reinforcing our Commitment
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, sanitary pads often cost more than one day’s pay. Cotton wool, old chitinje’s (cloth) or discarded cleaning rags are often used as a substitute to sanitary pads, these methods are often ineffective. For 1 in 10 girls in Africa, menstruation is the cause for missing or dropping out of school entirely. Women in communities can be ridiculed and discriminated against just for having their period.
Many topics surrounding menstruation and reproductive health is regarded as taboo. This means girls often don’t understand or know what a period is. When a girl first starts her period it can be a frightening time, she may think she has an infection, is seriously ill or infective. Many girls believe menstruation is dirty and something to be ashamed of. Here at CDFG we want to dispel these myths and increase understanding. Having a period, although inconvenient, means woman are able to start to create a family – this is something that should be respected not used as a tool to discriminate.
Volunteering Opportunities: Online and Worldwide
One Step at a Time
Online opportunities:
Want to help save the world from the comfort of your sofa? Sure!! We have a range of online volunteer opportunities… anything from writing a blog, to fundraising to raising awareness. Contact us and we’ll tell you all about our opportunities. Or if you have an idea or skill you think could help CDFG we would love to hear from you! Contact us if you would like to become a CDFG Ambassador.
Volunteer opportunities:
Plans to travel in Africa? Gap year? Doing some of your degree abroad? Going on a medical elective? Holiday? Set up your own CDFG community project, we will fully support you and help. We have all materials and information sitting and waiting for you, we’ll give you as little or as much help as you would like!!!
Visiting Malawi? Come visit CDFG and see what we do, we’re based in Ekwendeni (12 miles from Mzuzu). Contact us via email to arrange a visit!
Vincent Van Gogh
"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together"
CONTACT COMFORT DAYS FOR GIRLS
