MENSTRUAL HYGIENE KIT PROJECT STARTING UP December 14!
The Rotary Clubs of Nevada City and the Rotary Club of Nevada City 49er Breakfast are sponsoring a Sewing Circle comprised of local Rotary women and their friends to create Menstrual Hygiene Kits to be delivered to girls & women in Chiapas, Mexico.
The first “working” meeting of the Menstrual Hygiene Kit (MHK) Sewing Circle will meet on Wednesday, December 14 from 10am-12 noon at Wolf Creek Lodge to help us learn to use a Serger (Overlock) sewing machine.
Regular Sewing Circle Starting in January
Beginning in January, the Sewing Circle will meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 10am to 2pm at the Wolf Creek Lodge Co-Housing Community in Grass Valley In addition, a special meeting will be held on Saturday, February 4th at the Grass Valley Mormon Church where members will be trained in the construction of the Shield which is also included in the Kit.
District Grant Awarded For Menstrual Kits for Chiapas MX
The Rotary Clubs of Nevada City and Nevada City 49er Breakfast have been awarded a District 5190 multi-club grant to provide sustainable menstrual hygiene kits for Indigenous girls and women of Chiapas, Mx. The objective of this grant is to make it possible for young girls to stay in school, avoid pregnancy, and gain greater potential for economic gain through menstrual health and sexual education training provided with the menstrual hygiene kits.
The two Nevada City Clubs are sponsoring sewing circles comprised of local Rotary women and their friends to create reusable cloth menstrual hygiene kits that will be delivered to girls and women in Chiapas by the Rotary Club of Oriente de Tuxtla. The $5,625 grant funds the purchase of cutting machines, tools, fabrics, and other supplies plus shipping the completed kits to Chiapas.
Benefiting Local Indigenous Girls and Women of Chiapas, Mx
In marginalized communities, such as Chiapas, Mexico, with severe poverty, many girls and women do not have menstrual hygiene products. As a result, they drop out of school once their menstrual cycles begin, marry at a very young age, become pregnant and remain in the cycle of “Period Poverty” with very little opportunity for economic improvement. With sustainable menstrual hygiene kits, young girls can stay in school. The menstrual health and sexual education training will be provided when they receive the Menstrual Hygiene Kits avoid pregnancy and gain greater potential for economic gain.
Ramona Delmas of Bishop Sunrise introduced the project during a “Chiapas, Mexico Maternal Health Project” presentation to the Nevada City Rotary Club. Nevada City Rotary recognized the opportunity to supports Rotary’s Empowerment of Girls Initiative which will continue beyond the 2021-22 Rotary year.
Club Rotario Oriente de Tuxtla, Chiapas, Mexico will distribute the Menstrual Hygiene Kits to local indigenous girls and women in the Chiapas region of Mexico.while providing educational training that focuses on menstrual care and health/sexual education. Similar projects throughout the world have shown that young girls in particular are much more apt to stay in school and actively participate in their community when they have menstrual supplies along with timely and factual information about puberty and menstruation.