Where do I send my items and/or donations?

First, check to see if there is a local chapter in your area. All of our teams and chapters are listed here on the website. Start on THIS PAGE and click on your country/region to be directed to the listings. Once you find a group in your area, you can hover over their name to see their email address. If you have a default email program set up on your computer, you can simply click the link to send them an email.

Kits and donations can always be sent directly to:

Days for Girls International

1610 Grover Street B-22

Lynden, WA 98264

USA

(but we urge you to first seek out your local team to save any shipping costs!)

If you mail a monetary contribution that is designated for a specific team or chapter, please note that on your check. You will receive a fully tax-deductible receipt and a whole lot of gratitude from our team and the girls and women who benefit from your generosity.

I want to start my own chapter or group in my area. Is that okay?

​Yes! 

Details, applications and more are available here on the website by visiting the main Chapters/Teams page.  From there, go to your country or region. There you will find an application, information and connection to our Chapter Liaison, who can offer helpful tips for your success.

You can start as big or small as you would like. You can be a point of contact for instruction; A place other people send kit components to that will add up to many kits; Help raise awareness and funding to help women worldwide; or focus on sewing. It's up to you. It is rewarding and flexible.  See what a difference a day makes in a direct and meaninful way.

I want to organize a Sewing Party. How should I approach this?

Our Sewing Specialists have organized many sewing events. Read their tips and suggestions in this document, Group Sewing Considerations. 

What are the guidelines for pre-washing fabrics?

When washing fabrics to be used in DfG kits, it is preferable to use detergent that is non-allergenic and has no added perfumes. Fabric softeners must never be used; they decrease absorbency and can be irritants to the girls. All fabrics except PUL must be washed before sewing. For cost reasons and wise use of water, wash in full loads only. Dry on hot to force as much shrinkage as possible prior to sewing; this will deter skewing after sewing and enable a more durable item.

What is PUL, and where do I find it? ​

​PUL stands for polyurethane laminate fabric. This fabric is the moisture barrier in DfG shields. It is lightweight, breathable, flexible, durable, non-toxic and waterproof. 

Do we use other things? No, though we have tried it all (trust us). It all comes down to things like ... what launders best, dries best, adapts to various situations best. This is it!

You can find it online at various sellers (ebay, fabric.com, wazoodle.com, etc) or locally (Joann's, Hancock, Hobby Lobby, etc).

You can also order it directly from DfG international. Email pul@daysforgirls.org for USA ordering or pulcanada@daysforgirls.org if you are located in Canada.

Can I use batting or Zorb for extra absorbance in the pads?

No. SO glad you asked about the batting. We know that some styles of washable pads use batting. However, ours does not and for really important reasons-- our pad style has been developed from the feedback of women from all over the world. It is uniquely adapted to address issues of access to water (our kits wash with very little water comparatively), they dry fast, they break taboo barriers because they don't look like a pad when they are hanging to dry.  In many places it is either embarrassing or taboo to have anything menstrual related hanging in public. We've experienced some women  trying to dry them under beds and such. Which, of course, did not work well for them. Batting slows drying time. The tri-fold liner (without batting) is a successful adaptation that works very well to meet all of those special needs.

Why are the sewing instructions so detailed? It requires several pages to print them out.

We are thankful for all the volunteers who sew for Days for Girls! Our sewists represent a wide range of sewing experience, knowledge and ability. Our goal is for each and every kit to to be made of the best quality and following the same procedures to offer each girl a kit of comparable beauty, durability, and workmanship. When all kits are standardized and made to the same specification, it allows DfGI to best monitor effectiveness.

Our kit is our brand: it represents Days for Girls throughout the world. We desire it to be a symbol of quality, promoting health and opportunity for the girls.

How much fabric is needed for kits?

While we can give you the measures our sewing divas use, please use these as guidelines only. The true amount of fabric required varies by shrinkage factor (not all cottons shrink at the same rate) and by variances depending on the person doing the cutting.

Here are some of the measures our sewing specialist uses when purchasing fabric:

• 2 yards of 44" width cotton yields 4 drawstrings bags and 8 shields (i.e., enough for 4 kits).

• 5 yards 44" width flannel yields 60 liners (enough for 7+ kits).

Here are some estimates for making 50 kits:

• 32-40 yards of 44" width flannel for liners.

• 12 yards of 44" width cotton for shields.

• 3.0 - 3.5 yards of 60" width PUL for shields.

• 12 yards of 44" width cotton for drawstring bags.

What happened to the Betty Pad and the Diamond Shield? Do you still take them?​ ​

Today's kit reflects the wisdom of thousands of women worldwide, both those using them and volunteers. You should have seen the first kits! No, we take that back, they were embarrassingly simplistic and not as effective as they are today. Glad you see today's version. The Betty Pad was an innovation made possible by one of our very first volunteers and a hero of ours, Betty (of course) who has made tens of thousands of liners. Today not even Betty makes Betty pads because we learned that they use 4 times more water to wash and rinse than trifolds. Important details in places where kits often serve. AND tri-fold liners pass the taboo test ... they can hang outside because they look like hankies or washcloths. As for the Diamond shield, feedback learned toward preferring the standard and so when someone pointed out that the standard was easy for a person who was blind to use we realized the same could not necessarily be said for the diamond shield. So we listened and adapted. That's what makes these kits so effective. And yes, you can send what you already made and we'll happily share them in appropriate locations.

Our group does not have access to a snapping machine. Should we use velcro or buttons instead?

Good news! DfGI and almost every chapter has a snapping machine-- so you can send shields without snaps, and our teams will cheerfully add them. 

Why not Velcro? It can become unhygienic and can also have sharp corners that can cut (we got that feedback at two schools) and round ones are often too small to hold well for an extended period of time. Quality, well-attached, large plastic snaps (we use Size 20 - with special thanks to KamSnaps who gives us discounts) are ideal.

Why not buttons? Imagine changing your pad in a cramped latrine.... buttons can be difficult for some girls, as well as increasing the time it takes for her to change her pad. Snaps are quick, easy, and last as long as her shields.

I have a lot of old fabric that I found in a give away box. It's not pretty, but girls probably don't care what kits look like. They are just grateful to have their items, right?

May we answer this question with a few statements? Having a washable solution is priceless to her. AND she carries her kit with her for 3 years of use if it is cared for properly. The truth is that many of the girls and women have very little to call their own.  They LOVE color (who doesn't). Then here is the last piece to consider. Imagine five girls on the same school bench, each beaming ear to ear over her new kit. The first four have beautiful, colorful bags and colorful shields and liners.  The last has a dishwater grey bag, a little misshapen because it was a scrap with just a little nick out of one edge. She too is grateful, but she can't help but notice the beautiful bags carried by the other girls to school every day.  Hers has already gotten dirty because it was so light and a solid color that doesn't hide stains well, but she is still grateful, just a twinge disappointed that she too couldn't have such a beautiful bag. This scenario has happened. We have photos to prove it. Yes, getting kits into the world is important and changes lives. And the way they look brings just a bit more cheer to sometimes bleak lives.

I have some old sheets that are a bit worn but they could make a great shield. Should I recycle them into shields and liners? ​

You put a lot of care, time and energy into making kit components. You want your efforts to last as long as possible for girls and women. It is worth finding fabric that is going to wear well. She's counting on it and will be counting on it for years if it is quality fabric. If you start letting people know what you are doing... fabric will come. Craigslist can be another good source.  And thank you... for helping us to reach more women and girls..

I am going to visit/live in an area that has need of kits. How do I apply to get some?

​If your effort is a nonprofit one (whether an officially registered one or not) &/or you are a responsible humanitarian traveler, and you are willing to:

• provide training on reproductive health, hygiene, safety

• and how to use and care for kits,

then Days for Girls International would be delighted to partner with you to get kits into the hands of those that need them.

Do you have any distribution tips or guidelines?

Yes!  Please email distribution@daysforgirls.org 

What is the cost of kits? Why are you asking for a donation if they are made by volunteers?

You will be asked to contribute toward the material costs of kits (sliding scale of $4 - $10), and your organization will need to cover any shipping to get kits to you. Your contribution toward the costs of kit construction helps replenish materials that keep kits flowing into the world. It makes a BIG difference.

Donations toward DfG Kits made by and ordered from in-country programs (like Ghana, Uganda, Dominican Republic and more) are necessary because they pay local sewists, providing jobs while funding materials to keep Days for Girls Kits and initiatives moving forward.

Can you explain why we are sewing rather than giving the girls and women an opportunity to provide for their community and possibly set up a business?

Actually, we do both! The kits our volunteers make are important because they not only fulfill a need but also "seed the market" for talented local sewists to take up the mission as a business.

However, there is more to it than sewing a kit. There is the beneficial and vital  knowledge that should come with every kit:

• How to use them, care for them and what a period is, along with other basic women's health knowledge.

DfG trains DfG enterprise holders with all of that data, as well as how to sustain business, how to make soap (a great companion business), and more. Tthese DfG enterprise holders are, and need to be, more than sewing; they are Ambassadors of Women's Health. Then there is the issue of supply chain and maintaining quality so the DfG kits will last and work well.

DfG Enterprises are a big part of what DfGI works on every day, taking all of these things (and more) into consideration. It's a model we have been working to refine around the globe. There are many sewing enterprises in place now., and many more to come.

Both aspects of distribution matter very much-- both those volunteering to make them and distribute them (reaching girls and seeding the market) and those that are making it happen locally. Thank you for seeing the big picture. We're with you! It all counts in our mission to ensure the dignity , health, and opportunity possible by access to DfG sustainable quality feminine hygiene programs. Thank you for helping lift women, girls and communities out of poverty.

Why don't all girls and women just buy disposables? ​​

The number one reason-- lack of funds.

What if you had to choose between your family having food, or you having feminine hygiene? Which would you choose? What if there were four daughters? How would it feel to not know from one month to the next if you would have what you need?

Disposal is also an issue in areas where there is little or no sanitation service. More schools are offering incineration, but even that can be an issue. Improperly discarded pads are a health risk and add to stigma that we are trying to help girls break.

Some remote areas do not have access to a store that might have pads available. In some areas the pads offered are rough and the tape does not hold well.

The truth is that in many nations even those rare individuals fortunate enough to have regular employ often can not count on having enough funds to purchase disposable pads, so they too are grateful to have a solution they can count on month after month. The reasons are many.

Ewwwww. Washable? No woman should have to do that.

"Ewww" is girls being exploited because they can't count on having hygiene. Ahhh, is knowing she has what she needs month after month.

"Ewww" is suffering severe infections. Ahh is knowing how to care for her kit with very little water thanks to distribution training and feedback from the suggestions of many women who have used DfG kits. 

Should the panties and washcloths be washed prior to placing in the kit?

Panties and washcloths should not be washed; it is best when they appear new and unused.  An exception to this is if the articles require dyeing to make them an appropriate color.  See the DfGI policy regarding dyeing kit components.

Is is okay to dye white panties and washcloths? What if someone gives me white shields and/or liners?

Yes, it is OK to dye panties, washcloths, liners, and shields. 

The dye must be of quality and result in a bold, cheerful "stain-busting" hue (think deep magenta, dark purple, dark blue, etc) and should be folded directly after washing so as not to result in looking used and worn.  

Whenever possible avoid the need to dye things as it requires additional time to prepare kits and money to buy the dye.  Please use your own judgement concerning the effect of dyeing on the environment and wise use of water.  

When purchasing multi-packs of panties and washcloths, there are often some white and pale items included in the set; these items must be dyed before including them in a DFG kit.

Another option is to donate the light colored items to another charity if you prefer to NOT dye things.  Sometimes it is less costly to give away the unsuitable things than to spend the time and cost to dye them.  Please use your own judgement on this.

I noticed you are putting fewer liners in a kit, small soap and no safety pins. Why? What led to that?

YOU have been a long time supporter of DfG, or you would not know to ask!

Thank you!

The answer is that while on a follow up survey and advancement expedition of three nations we heard amazing stories of how much people loved their kits and the difference they had made. And two made comments that they "saved some of their liners, because they only needed six" or they had "lost some" when they left them to wash later because they had "extra" to use. So we started asking, how many did they need? The magic number was 8. Better to use what they have.

As for soap, large bars are heavy, misplace luggage weight space, and many organizations were refusing soap, opting instead to purchase soap "in-country" to save the expense of the the weight in transport. But soap is a vital part of a kit. So, hotel sized it is.

Pins are very appreciated but were not being used for what we had sent them for. So for the sake of quality that fits the need, and acknowledging feedback, we can now all save the cost of soap and pins. Volunteers will save on shipping too! 

Should the small soap bar be wrapped or unwrapped when included in the kit?

Days for Girls International has determined the soap wrapper should be removed before inserting in the kit. 

This decision is based upon  research and discussion (August 2014).  The wrapper causes unnecessary trash in communities that often are ill-equipped to deal with trash.   DfGI has determined the best course of action is to leave the soap unwrapped.  Consideration was given to using a different type of wrapper (fabric for example), however this was deemed unnecessary.  Eventually, a wrapper of any sort becomes trash.

Our time is best utilized in making the necessary elements of the kit.  Unwrapped soap does not cause harmful residue on the shield.  When assembling kits from this point forward, please unwrap the soap and insert it into the shield pocket as usual.  The unfolded instruction sheet should be placed upright neatly on top of the stack of 5 liners so the instructions are visible. 

Thanks for all your efforts toward making effective DfG kits.

Do I have to make entire kits in order to help? May I just focus on one item?

Absolutely, you can do what you are comfortable with. 

Many of our most faithful and revered Super Sewing volunteers specialize in one component of kits or another. Every piece comes together to add up to life-changing kits. So feel free to focus where you feel most comfortable. The results are the same ... girls lives change!

Can I just collect the un-sewn components and give them to a team to put in kits?

YES! Connect with your nearest team, and see what they need! Components can always be shipped to our headquarter office in Lynden, Washington, but a quick visit to our Teams and Chapters Page can hopefully spare shipping expenses. Each team and chapter is listed in their respective country/region. Hovering over their name will show you their email address for direct communication.