The Girls of Sambhava

In 2019, Federica founded the Berlin chapter of Days for Girls, an organization that sews and distributes reusable menstrual pads to women and girls in developing countries. In less than 7 months, Fede organized a group of dedicated volunteers who helped sew, cut, assemble and donated time and money in order to make the 38 menstrual kits for the girls of Sambhava.

Each kit lasts 3-4 years. That means that the girls won’t have to worry about how they’re going to afford menstrual pads and can instead focus on making their dreams come true and the world a better place.

The volunteers not only helped deliver the kits but they also helped attempt to break the stigma surrounding menstruation and end period poverty.

We are firm believers that when a women becomes empowered, she empowers not only her family but her community and the WORLD.

Timeline:

April 2019 - Fede puts a call out for volunteers on Facebook to help her organize sewing sessions so that we can prepare reusable menstrual kits for women and girls in developing countries.

May 2019 - First sewing session at youngcaritas Berlin takes place. Advanced sewers split off and begin using the machines while everyone else practices cutting with sample fabric. The founder of Sambhava sees the project and asks if it was possible to give some of the kits to the girls attending the Elegant Pearl English School.

Early June 2019 - Over 77 volunteers were involved so Fede decides to open up an evening sewing session at Wühlischvierzig to make it easier for those who want to help out but work during the day. Days for Girl Berlin Chapter was now up to two sewing sessions per week.

June 28 2019 - The first round of fundraising on GoFundMe brought €1,011. This money helps buy more fabric and other necessary components.

July 19 2019 - With the help of the top sewer Camila Rojas Reinike we pass the quality check and become the official Berlin team for Days for Girls.

Aug 6 2019 - All the volunteers gather for the last session so that we can pack the kits and celebrate our hard work before Fede heads to Nepal.

Aug 9 2019 - Nicole, a member of the core team volunteers, organizes a fundraising yoga event that helps to raise 90 Euro.

Nov 2019 - Nicole joins Fede in Nepal to help with the distribution.

Nov 10 2019 - Nicole & Fede prepare 38 kits for distribution complete with soap and notebooks. We write the message “I am strong, I am smart, and I can do anything” in each one of the notebooks.

Nov 11 2019 - We travel one hour outside of Kathmandu to the Elegant Pearl English School in order to meet the girls. We first spend time getting to know each other and introducing ourselves to the girls so they are comfortable with us. We ask them what they want to do after they study and most of them say, SOCIAL WORKERS.

Nov 12 2019 - Before we give out the bags, Nicole guides them through a meditation and teach them a few yoga moves to help relieve period pain (thanks RealYoga and selfworkworkshops). Then both of us explain what a period is and that it is nothing to be ashamed of and Fede explains how to use the menstrual pad as well as how to clean it and take care of it. After the distribution, the girls encircle us in a giant group hug and then we play some games, eat lunch together and get to know each other even more.

CASANepal

While in Nepal, Federica came in contact with CASANepal, a safe house in Kathmandu for women and children escaping gender based violence. The safe house was founded by Apeiron, a local Nepali NGO that helps women develop skills to support themselves and their families in 2007.

With Fede’s fundraising efforts, she was able to raise 379 euros which allowed her to buy 150 menstrual kits and 300 additional liners for the women of CASANepal.

Rather than have the kits made in Berlin and then shipped over, she decided to purchase the kits directly from Days for Girls Nepal which was the more sustainable, cost effective solution.

After 4 months from the distribution we followed up with CASANepal.

Click on this link to check our Monitoring & Evaluation report of CASANepal distribution.

To read the story on one of the women of CASANepal you can click here.