In 2016, Jean Bricker and a team of sewists at Lewis Center United Methodist Church responded to a request to support a project for young women living in refugee camps in sub-Saharan Africa.

Young women living in these camps lack proper feminine hygiene supplies. Many stop attending school when they experience their menstrual cycle, negatively impacting the girls’ health, self-esteem, education and, ultimately, livelihood.

Amina’s Dream, a Watoto Read initiative, focuses on addressing the lack of proper feminine-hygiene products for young women at the refugee camps. The Ohio sewing team makes washable and reusable contents of menstrual-hygiene kits for middle-school girls.

Watoto Reed partners with Days for Girls, an organization dedicated to removing the stigma of menstruation across the globe. Days for Girls created a patented pattern for the pads.

In addition to the pads, each kit includes a bar of soap, a washcloth, two sets of undergarments, four liners, two shields, and one carrying pouch in an attractive bag. The sustainable pads can last up to three years.

“We want girls to be able to learn every day,” Bricker said. This laity-led ministry is supported through donations of fabric and kit contents, as well as monetary gifts.

In 2022, with the help of Amina’s Dream Project, Days for Girls sent 21,000 feminine-hygiene kits to N’Djamena, Chad, for distribution in refugee camps.

For churches interested in a ministry such as this, Bricker advised, “Be flexible. There may be rules you do not understand, but it is all worth it.”

Reflecting on the ministry, she added, “Its humbling. We take for granted everything.”

For more information, contact Lewis Center United Methodist Church, 740-548-5549. For more information on Watoto Read, click here. For information on Days for Girls, click here.

Written by Amy Graham, Freelance Writer for West Ohio Communications