HOPE. PERIOD.
Who’s ready to change the world?
Did you know that there are 15 MILLION girls around the world not in school today? That is more than the populations of NYC, Chicago, and LA combined. In our travels around the world, we have found that this is one of the biggest hurdles girls are facing right now. But WHY are so many girls not in school?
There are so many factors behind why girls aren’t in school. There are wars, famine, and girls who are refugees fleeing from the conflict in their communities. We have met girls in Kenya, India, and Rwanda who don’t go to school because their families can’t afford the school fees. Others have to stay home because their parents can only afford to send the boys in the family to school. We have met girls in India who had to stay home to care for their younger siblings while the parents worked, or even had to join their parents working in rock quarries to help provide for their family. We have even met girls in Kenya who cannot go to school because they refused a “Sugar Daddy” and his offer to pay for her school fees - in return for sex. Many girls do take these men up on their offers because they know that education is the only key out of the poverty cycle - but, sadly, many of these situations end in rape, teen pregnancy, or HIV.
But the number one reason why girls around the world are not in school - is their monthly period. They miss school for a week every month because they do not have access to sanitary supplies that could help keep them in school. Some girls use mud, leaves, twigs, or even rocks to try and stop their flow enough to go to school. When they miss school, it’s difficult to catch up. It’s not like they can request the work that they missed. They get more and more behind in their work, do poorly on exams, and ultimately have to drop out of school - because of their period. For thousands of years girls around the world have been the victims of violence, prejudice, oppression, child marriages, lack of job training, and are punished with a lack of education. Their only crime was being born a girl.
That is why we are honoring Women’s History Month and the week of International Women’s Day by starting something very special. We are DONATING OUR PERIODS.
The need is so big that sometimes the work of SheHopes feels overwhelming. We can’t stop wars or prevent famine. We can’t prevent all child marriages or pay the school fees for every girl across the globe, but we can do SOMETHING for SOMEONE. That is why this new opportunity is called Hope Period. In the midst of the pain, when we feel overwhelmed by the need - we are going to focus on hope. Period. For less than the cost of a package of pads or a box of tampons, we can change the world for one of our little sisters. We can open up the door to education. We can give HOPE.
For your gift of only $5, you can give give a girl all of the washable/reusable sanitary supplies that she will need for an entire year - so she can stay in school. Join us by donating your period. If you’re finished with that part of life, think about when you were a young girl - and give for her. Give in honor of a special girl in your life.
Give for a girl’s education. Give for her future - her children, and her children’s children. Give the gift of HOPE. Period.
Who’s ready to change the world?
