DAYS FOR GIRLS CHARITY| OUR INVOLVEMENT

Starting in 2008 as a small yet passionate volunteer-run organisation, Days for Girls now has a robust network of more than 70,000 volunteers around the globe. 

Founder and CEO Celeste Mergens was working with a family foundation in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya where she began assisting an orphanage. In the wake of historic post-election violence, the population at the orphanage had swelled from 400 children to 1,400. 

With the devastating situation weighing heavily on her mind, the practical question nagging at Celeste was: “What are girls doing for feminine hygiene?” Upon seeking an answer from the orphanage, the reply that came back was “Nothing. They wait in their rooms.”

Celeste learned that girls were sitting on cardboard for several days each month, often going without food unless someone would bring it to them. These days of isolation meant precious days of lost schooling and days of lost opportunity. This set in motion her first intervention - disposable pads. But without any place to dispose of the pads, this was neither a viable nor a sustainable solution. It was time for Plan B: a washable, long-lasting pad.

The first Days for Girls Kits were quite different from the designs in use today. Extensive feedback from thousands of women and girls around the globe ensured the designs met unique cultural and environmental conditions throughout the world. Over the years, what has become clear is just how much of a difference hygiene solutions make in assisting women and girls to break the cycle of poverty and live lives of dignity.

Today, Days for Girls has reached more than 2.1 million women and girls in 144+ countries with DFG Kits and menstrual health education. This translates into over 115 million days of dignity, health, education and opportunity!

Days for Girls began in Australia in 2012 after the recently retired Founding Director - Gloria Buttsworth - had a visit from her friend who runs a children’s home in northern Uganda. The two got talking about the girls in the home, particularly their hygiene needs. Most of the girls could not afford sanitary products, resulting in many of them missing school repeatedly, with many eventually dropping out. The question occurred to Gloria (as it had many years earlier to Celeste): ‘‘What can I do?’’

The answer appeared in the form of the Days for Girls International (DFGI) Menstrual Health Programs. Gloria contacted Celeste Mergens, and the rest is history.

A DISTRIBTION IN KAYUNGA, UGANDA

It wasn’t until I heard Fella Hamilton being talked about in the media as a company that successfully pivoted from women’s garments to PPE and masks during the height of the Covid pandemic, that I realised you manufactured here in Melbourne. I contacted your CEO, Sharon Hamilton with the hope that you might be able to assist in machine cutting the waterproof, polyurethane laminate (PUL) fabric used in the making of the menstrual hygiene kits, which are handmade by our volunteers.

Up until now, the DFGA volunteers have either hand traced and cut the PUL, which is labour intensive and time consuming, or used a machine with a specially made die cut, which is faster and more accurate, but unfortunately does result in a large amount of wasted fabric.

With the help of your pattern maker Diana, and your cutter Tan, we saw how you were able to work out the quickest and most economical way for our PUL to be cut.

A VISIT FROM 'DAYS FOR GIRLS' - FROM FAR LEFT, SANDRA PLUNKETT (DFG), CAROLYN WALKER (DFG), SHARON HAMILTON (FH),  ADRIENNE ROACHE (FH), DIANA FOUNTAIN (FH) & LEE BARKER (DFG).