Sew reusable sanitary pads for refugees and vulnerable communities

The Pachamama Project is growing a network of volunteers around the world to sew reusable sanitary pads for refugees and vulnerable communities who deal with period poverty. Period poverty is when people are unable to afford or access sanitary products and thus resort to using rags, socks, leaves, cardboard and other non sanitary products. We give everyone we serve 8 pads and a draw string bag which last 3-5 years and encourage anyone anywhere with a sewing machine and a bit of free time to get involved. Whether someone has time or the capability to make 2 or 200 pads or a few drawstring bags we would love the support as we endeavour to help as many people out of period poverty as possible. This project can be done solo from home or in groups as large as you like with a makeshift supply chain and we think it would be a fantastic project for Mitzvah day and beyond. We currently support refugees and vulnerable communities in Greece, Lebanon, Turkey, Syria, the UK, the United States and Uganda but as our volunteer network grows we aim to extend our reach to as many people as possible. Contact [email protected] for instructions, stencils and a video. Ideally, volunteers will source the fabric from friends, family and their local community (via neighbourhood Facebook or Whatsapp groups). We are creating regional Whatsapp groups for volunteers so that they can share tips and resources. Any volunteer unable to source their own fabric should get in touch with the project for support. We supply the plastic poppers (Kam snaps) and ask that, whenever possible, volunteers purchase a Kam Snap tool. https://www.thepachamamaproject.org/