In May 2014, the Alachua County Girl Scout Troop 733 received thank you letters from teenage girls in Kenya.
The Kenyan girls were grateful for the kits of reusable pads and liners the troop previously sent.
“I sat there with a box of tissues and read all of them in a row,” said Radha Selvester, the leader of Troop 733. “It was really emotional.”
The troop is continuing its work on Saturday as members host a training session at the Grace United Methodist Church for women interested in becoming Ambassadors of Women’s Health. The training will serve as a fundraiser for a trip on Dec. 17, when 11 women, including troop members, will visit Kenya to bring menstrual kits, teach the girls how to sew and assemble their own kits, and bring the tools needed to start a health-and-sewing enterprise.
The training costs $45 to attend and will be hosted by Celeste Mergens, CEO of Days for Girls International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to getting feminine products to girls all over the world with the goal of having more girls stay in school.
In many countries in Africa, girls try to “treat” their menstruation using cardboard, mattress stuffing or leaves, Selvester said. A lot of this involves missing school for weeks on end to avoid being shamed or seen.
“They stay in bed all day or they just don’t go to school all week,” said Sadie Anderson, the 16-year-old troop president. “They’re embarrassed or ashamed of it because it’s just not talked about.”
A typical kit assembled by the troop includes two panties, eight liners, safety pins, a bar of soap, a letter from a troop member, a photo of the troop, writing utensils, an extra plastic bag and a drawstring bag. The tools needed to set up the sewing enterprise in Kenya will cost between $3,000 and $5,000, not including flight costs. They plan to bring about 200 kits with them.
“Girl Scout cookies sell themselves, but it’s definitely harder to get donations for this,” Anderson said.
