Jenna educated me about reusable sanitary pads for school
girls. In places where sanitary supplies
for girls are not easily available or affordable, girls often miss 3-5 days at
school every month. 3-5 days from a
school month of 20 days impacts education.
When we traveled together in 2011 to the Southern Highlands of Tanzania
Jenna had organized a sew-a-thon and sent 50 kits for school girls. We promptly named them jPads.
Sr. Atu received the kits graciously and distributed them to
the school girls and then she asked - if
it were possible - could we make postpartum pads that were needed badly for
mothers giving birth in villages. Often
they were using whatever they could find….leaves, cornhusks, newspapers or
cloth rags. Reusable kits can last about 3 years.
So I got the pattern and hastened to my sewing machine and
produced 8 kits that were delivered in November and have 8 kits more ready for
this spring.
Each postpartum kit includes:
3 base pads (larger size than regular jpad)
ü
9 foldable inserts
ü
1 Ziploc freezer bag (to put used inserts until
they can be washed)
ü
1 pair of underpants (women’s med or large)
ü
washcloth and a bar of soap
ü
picture directions
ü
1 cotton drawstring bag to carry everything
