During the Little Black Dress Project one year, I met a nice lady named Heather via the marvelous internet. Heather is a woman after my own heart because she wasn’t just a one-time advocate, but rather, she is a world changer day-in and day-out. One of the ways she lived this in 2016 was by making LuoPads to help girls around the world.
Heather’s church choose to make LuoPads, which gives girls not only practical assistance, but helps girls–mostly in the Middle East and Africa–be protected from negative stigmas associated with their periods. These often keeping girls from school 20% of the year! I would love to see a group of guys sewing pads together, to help create opportunities for girls who are often so severely oppressed by men!
Global Aid Network–A Different Type of Humanitarian Aid
What are the things that spring instantly to mind when it comes to providing relief aid?
Food. Clothing. Shelter. Perhaps, if you thought a bit deeper, clean water and safety would make the cut too. But what if you were told that there is a subset of those receiving aid whose basic needs every month are being ignored?
GAIN (Global Aid Network) International, like so many others in the relief effort, provide food, shelter, water filters, and medical supplies to those whose need is greatest. Their purpose is to, “expresses the love of Jesus Christ in the toughest places on earth by relieving suffering and restoring dignity.” And indeed they have hit upon a most unique way to minister to hurting women and girls, providing them with one of the most basic needs any female has and restoring dignity to them.
Do you know someone who might want to do this? Feel free to share this post/image with them.
Providing Dignity to Girls Around The World Through LuoPads (Homemade Sanitary Pads)
The Vision Behind LuoPads video from Global Aid Network (GAIN)
The LuoPad project seeks to empower and support women by providing them with washable, reusable, menstrual pads.
Yes. Pads. Those basic things that every woman needs every month, but who would connect it with the relief movement? GAIN has, and they are equipping and encouraging churches here in the US to get on board and help their sisters around the world.
Having a reusable pad allows women to continue supporting their families during their periods, and lets their daughters continue to attend school without monthly interruptions. The LuoPad project wages war on gender inequalities and social taboos that strip women and girls of their dignity month after month after month. All it takes is fabric, towels, scissors, those basic sewing skills we haven’t used since 7th grade Home Ec., and a willing heart and you too can make a difference in the world!
Heather’s church has been totally taking this advocacy project on as a group. Such a great idea for action!
Watch the video above of what they did this year here!
Go below to learn how to do this! And if you like ideas for action like these you might be interested in this:
Resources For Making Sanitary Pads For Girls
Here are all the resources you’d need for your group advocacy project of making LuoPads.
These resources from GAIN include:
- Leaders Guide
- Power Point Presentation
- Event Flyer
- Postcard
- Poster
- Video on LuoPads
- Instructional Video
- Donation Flyer
- Instructional Pamphlet
- Poster For Collecting Materials
- Photos (although the link is currently broken)
If you will be making LuoPads, go here for the above resources!
If you need more help with the actual process of sewing LuoPads besides the video GAIN offers, this blog post has pictures of each stage of the process.
GAIN LuoPads are changing the lives of girls!
Note: Global Aid Network is a 3-Star Organization on Charity Navigator (from FY2013)
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