Volunteers meet at IUSB to sew reusable menstrual pads for girls in Malawi

It wasn’t a regular college party. Cookies and chips were served, as well as fruit punch. The entertainment was conversation and sewing machines.

It was the Party with a Purpose at Indiana University South Bend. It was all about girls and teens with a special nod to International Women’s Day. It was a spirited group and they had an important reason to be there.

IUSB students, high school pupils from Washington, Adams and Riley, faculty, staff and community members came together on March 7 in an Administration Building meeting room. It was a day to raise awareness of health issues related to girls in developing countries.

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The 50 people were there to stitch together reusable pads for the monthly issues of menstruation. There were stations for cutting fabric, assembling several layers and sewing of the washable, reusable pads.

Organizers hoped to have 500 pads when all the sewing was done.

IUSB’s costume department provided sewing machines and technical skills. The volunteer organization Busy Hands of Michiana brought in people to help.

The volunteers said the party made them think of others, learn and discuss social concerns.

Professor Neovi Karakatsanis, director of IUSB’s Honors Program, explained that girls in developing countries often miss a week of school each month. “The girls get further and further behind in school because they stay home.”

Often the girls can’t continue in school and they marry young, Neovi said. “It is period poverty, and the effects are lasting.”

Phyllis Wezeman, president of Malawi Matters, was there for the day to oversee the party. Malawi Matters is a volunteer organization that had its start in South Bend. Volunteers facilitate HIV and AIDS education seminars and women/girls empowerment courses in the central region country of Malawi, Africa.

Phyllis said Malawi Matters has the train-the-trainer system. Get people involved and move them into the villages to continue the education. Since 2005, the program has operated in 215 villages, 200 congregations and more than 1,500 primary and secondary schools in Malawi.

The sewing event was Phyllis’ idea to connect students with the community. Tell the stories of Malawian girls.

“We here don’t know what they go through," Phyllis said. "It is hard to believe. Villages are three or four miles off a main road. They can’t walk into Target to get what they need. They don't have sanitary napkins, or tampons. They use grass or leaves.”

This is the fourth year for Party with a Purpose. During COVID, partygoers Zoomed in for the day. For Phyllis, this was a great day of education and sewing.

Riley High School teacher Jennifer Byers is a career and technical education teacher. Her class is a dual credit class with Ivy Tech human services courses. She brought six students to help with packaging five pads in each kit for delivery. Speaking of why students would get involved with this project, Jennifer said it is eye opening. “They are unaware of the difficulties” that other teens may go through.

For one of her students, Jada Goins, it was an education. “I didn’t know these were issues for them. But this is a women’s issue.”

Chris Deitchley, director of Busy Hands of Michiana, which is a volunteer organization that does project sewing for others in need, said they will be completing the pad production when the party ends — and they did, with all 500 finished later at Busy Hands' sewing room in River Park. For Busy Hands members, it is the type of project they could embrace. “It is a social mission.”

IUSB students Madi Strater and Isabella Padilla were handling the sign-in sheets and talking about what made this an important part of their day. “The community service part is special," Madi said. "It is a good cause."

Isabella said, “I have relatives in Honduras, and they don’t have access to what we take for granted. For me, this is a couple of hours of time. We could be changing the lives of two or three girls forever.”

Contact Kathy at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Malawi girls benefit from sewing party to make reusable menstrual pads