Distribution Tips
Thank you for your interest in reaching girls and women.
You can see for yourself the importance of these kits.
Please let us know where you are going and share your experiences and the stories of the girls you reach by
clicking here. Tips below.
Welcome to the team!
Resource
Checklist
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DfG Kit Care Booklet (DfG kit care and usage training is VITAL so they work well, stay healthy and last) . This booklet will NOT replace the education that should come with DfG Kits but it should be included in them if there is any chance education might not happen with distribution. Spanish version.
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Purchase an Official DfG Ambassador of Women's Health Flipchart Full color posters and step by step guidelines. Get a discount if you take the AWH Course here.
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Tippy tap hand washing stations are simple and effective. Learn how here
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Purchase laundry bars of soap in-country. A slice for each kit should be added.
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Glitter (see handbook for usage). A beachball can be a great activity just before beginning for breaking down walls of discomfort as you begin.
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Sharpie permanent markers for the girls and women to initial their kit components to identify their own supplies if drying in community areas (ie: boarding school).
Share tips for safer DAYS
Brush up on safety because you are about to empower girls! Imagine living where the concept of protecting yourself is not a thought. Imagine being shamed and outcast if you were raped.
This is a chance to share tips on how to defend herself.
Our self-defense poster is here... survive and safety is the highlight. It all leads to a powerful discussion opportunity, and more safety for girls.
Other Language Materials
Distribution Handbook in Spanish
Distribution Handbook in French
Can you translate? Volunteer to translate DfG materials.
We need you!
Show how kits save DAYS
Show them how kits work.
This is VITAL. If recipients don't know how to use DfG kits properly they will not stay healthy and the DfG Kits will not last 2 - 3 years. Proper care is vital to ensure no infection happens. have someone stand up front and demonstrate over their pants how to snap the shield onto the panties and pull them up. Explain how more than one liner can be layered on days with more need. Explain how to add liners. Many girls always wear two "just in case" and replace the top layer only if the second has not become soiled. Show how to remove and fold their soiled liner and tuck it in their Ziplock or wetbag and then apply a new liner. Explain how to launder. That gentle washing (not harsh scrubbing) so they will last. Then pass out the kits and have one of the girls volunteer to "be the teacher" and repeat what you showed as the girls try it themselves. Be sure to have fun and have Q & A afterwards. Remind them that kits can last 2 -3 years and that how long they last is determined by how well they care for their kits.
Empower healthier DAYS
Glitter is a great way to show how germs spread. Spread a small amount of Vaseline on a small ball and add glitter ahead of time. Toss to the girls and have them pass it. Explain that germs are so tiny that we can't see them with our eyes but just like the glitter, they transfer from objects to our hands and get passed on to cause illness like diarrhea, and more. There is an easy way to stop the spreading-- Washing your hands gets rid of more than 98%. Then introduce hygiene and hand washing, and the Tippy Tap Station. (See video link)
While the girls are meeting, boys can be guided in building a Tippy Tap and have a discussion about sensitivity about menstruation and choosing ahead of time that their future family can be without domestic violence.
Ambassador of Women's Health Course
Interested in taking this knowledge to the next level? And/or planning on empowering local leadership? You can take the online Ambassador of Women's Health Course by emailing ambassadors@daysforgirls.org
For information about pioneering a local Days for Girls sewing and health project in a resource poor community contact globalalliance@daysforgirls.org
Share how DAYS happen
Teaching reproductive health is almost as important as the kits themselves. Imagine not knowing why you were "bleeding" or thinking it was a curse due to your having done doing something wrong. Some women have even believed their menses was the first sign of HIV. Now imagine that you learn what a period is and the miracle it is, that without periods there would be no people. You learn that nearly every woman in the world shares this remarkable process. You learn what is happening in their bodies and why and how pregnancy happens. Knowledge is the best way to protect girls. Gender shame drops away and in its place is strength. Trust us, the results are amazing.
Be open, honest and allow plenty of time for Q & A.
The Official DfG Ambassador of Women's Health Flipchart is really helpful in covering it all easily and well.
Laundering tips help ease DAYS
It's vital for the health of those using kits and the long term health of the kit that all recipients learn how to use and properly care for them. Girls should always be instructed to keep soiled components in their extra baggie to be washed daily. The soiled pads should first be rinsed-- this can even be "gray water" (water used for other purposes, such as cooking or cleaning). Then they should gently swish or knead the components just
a bit (very gently, we don't want to wear the bag). Then spill away the most "colorful" water into the latrine or toilet where available. In any case, an area away from households and public (some areas designate a drainage area.) Many cultures have aversion to handling menses so this pre-wash phase is an important part of enabling easy care. At this point the kits are quite easy to clean with very little soap and water. Important: Kit components should be dried in the sun (its rays have anti-microbal properties),or ironed to dry. DfG Super Volunteers work to make kits colorful, which helps pads not look like pads... so it's possible for women and girls to hang them out in the sun.
What if they don't have access to water? Then washable kits are not
for them... until they have access to water. A clean kit is a healthy kit. Period.
