We are always so excited to hear from our Pads4Girls partners about how our pads are making a difference to girls all over the world. Here is a recent update from Emily Wilson, a volunteer with the Sexual Rights Centre in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Emily started bringing pads to Zimbabwe in 2008, when she filled her suitcases with disposable maxi pads. Since then, she has been one of Pads4Girls most active distribution partners, bringing over 150 Pads4Girls Kits to distribute to some of the most at risk women and girls in Zimbabwe. To help Emily bring more Pads4Girls kits to the women of Zimbabwe, donate here and specify ‘Sexual Right Centre’ as the distribution group.
Salibonani! It’s Emily again. It’s been a long while since I posted an update about how your generous support is helping women in Zimbabwe. It was almost three years ago – in late 2008 – that I launched the first ‘maxi appeal’ amongst family and friends in Ottawa. At the time, I was overwhelmed by people’s interest and response to the initiative in Canada, and by the situations of the women in Zimbabwe whom I was delivering the pads to. It was one of the most difficult times in recent history for Zimbabweans, who were struggling to access the most basic items that we in Canada take for granted. I remember walking into grocery stores – one after the other – only to find empty shelves; the only available item for purchase seemed to be locally made laundry soap. I remember being met at the airport in Bulawayo by a taxi driver who, when he opened the trunk of his car to put my bags inside, nervously looked around as he repositioned two loaves of bread so that they wouldn’t get squashed; later he explained that bread was so hard to come by that he was afraid of being attacked if people knew he had some in his car. I remember changing my US dollars into the local Zimbabwean currency, and having to carry around bagfuls of it to buy anything; prices changed by the hour due to the unfathomably high inflation rates and I racked up my first ever 38 trillion dollar bill for a few basic items!
Things have changed in Zimbabwe since 2008. The creation of an inclusive government, which comprises the three main political parties, has led to the relative stabilization of the economy and a less volatile political situation. On my most recent trip to Zimbabwe, I noticed that things have visibly changed on some levels: grocery stores are full, businesses are functioning and streets are bustling. People are getting on with their daily lives, as we do here. However, the majority of Zimbabweans continue to live on less than one US dollar per day. The unemployment rate remains high and, even for those who are formally employed, the average income is not enough to cover the cost of living. This means that, for many women and girls in Zimbabwe, sanitary wear remains a luxury that many cannot afford. The Lunapads project in Zimbabwe therefore continues to address a real need and provide a tangible solution.
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