Target reached!
With the extra funds, we would love to purchase some laptops for the girls to improv...
Stitching out of poverty in Indonesia
Singapore
Aim
To end period poverty, our aim is to purchase10 sewing machine for the girls of Al-Kautsar Foundation to make their reusable sanitary pads.
Period poverty” affects millions of girls around the world. This means they cannot afford to buy sanitary pads and end up using dirty rags, newspapers or leaves during their periods which can affect their mental health and well-being. They miss school while they have their period which impacts their education and we all know how valuable education is, it can shape the rest of our lives. Period poverty robs them from the right to education, health, water, sanitation, work and gender equality.
Lack of private washing facilities where girls can change their sanitary products, the cultural taboos and negative stigma around menstruation reinforce gender inequalities in many countries including Indonesia.
“Da Maria” is a sewing project in Batam (Indonesia) at the Al-Kautsar Foundation. A religious school where over 150 underprivileged and orphan girls live. As soon as I went there and met them, I knew it was a special place . We are raising funds to purchase 8-10 sewing machines so they can learn how to make reusable sanitary pads from fabric which can be washed and reused. A tailor has been found and will be paid to teach them for 1 or 2 months, those girls will teach 10 more girls and so on creating a ripple effect.
The funds will be used to buy the sewing machines, sewing accessories, fabrics, necessary furniture and re-paint one of the rooms in the compound which will be the sewing studio where the girls can hopefully learn other skills too and have a safe space where they can feel empowered, foster empathy and share their experiences with one another.
As with all my projects, I will personally go over there to paint and prepare the studio and take the sewing machines to the foundation so if you wish to join us and contribute to end period poverty, empower girls economically and equip them with the appropriate training skills, please donate even if you only have a little. Thank you, Lela
This project successfully funded on 5th May 2023