Washington Church Sews Hygiene Kits for Girls

From drug stores to vending machines, most women in North America have access to feminine hygiene products. This is not the case for women in impoverished countries. They are isolated during their menstrual period, missing up to eight months of school in a three-year-period.

So on December 11, 30 people from Third Christian Reformed Church in Lynden (Washington), along with several partner churches, spent 10 hours sewing hygiene kits.

Jan Bode, a member of Third CRC, said they partnered with an organization called Days for Girls. “This event has given us an opportunity to use our skills and talents to glorify God by serving others. We can work individually at home sewing kits, and we can also multiply our efforts via teamwork at this event.”

Each kit includes eight panty shields and two liners in a pretty handmade drawstring bag. The volunteers also purchase panties, washcloths, zip-close bags, and safety pins. The kits are distributed by missionaries and volunteers in 25 countries on five continents.

“The girls are beginning to make [the kits] themselves for profit so they can turn around and sell them in their country,” said Bode.

The kits last approximately three years. Washable and reusable products are important in countries where there is no infrastructure for garbage disposal and sanitation.

This was the first sewing event hosted by Third CRC. “[It] enabled use of many gifts: gifts of our time spent sewing, gifts of our resources by providing supplies, and sharing our talents making these kits, which in turn, become gifts to needy women around the globe,” Bode said.