Sewing empowerment: Winnipeg partnership sends needed menstruation products overseas

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This article was published 03/09/2021 (1507 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NOBODY in the Sudanese refugee camp told Wedan Hamad about periods.

When Hamad first soaked through her underwear, she was frustrated and confused. She figured she’d have to hide the blood, until her aunt stepped in and helped.

“My mom never talked with me,” Hamad said. “Our culture, sometimes, is very tough.”

Decades later, Hamad is working in the basement of First Lutheran Church in Winnipeg’s West End to ensure hundreds of girls across the globe have access to menstrual products.

She and four other immigrant women have sewn 600 reusable pads and holding bags. The women regularly attend sewing sessions, English classes and child-care drop-offs through the Excel Empowerment Centre, which is stationed in the church.

The centre partnered with Mennonite Central Committee four months ago. On Wednesday, MCC representatives collected the volunteer-made goods, which will be shipped to school-age girls and incarcerated women in Ukraine next month, as part of the charity’s dignity kits.

“They learn (about personal hygiene) at the school, they talk to them openly — it’s not like us. I’m happy to hear (that),” Hamad said, getting emotional.

Achol Majer marvelled at the snap buttons she’d helped to sew into the pads. She’d received pads when she was in a South Sudanese refugee camp, but there was no way to fasten them — they’d fall out often.

“Some girls, if you have your period, and you don’t have money to buy the… pads, you refuse to go to school,” she said. “(You) have a shame in front of your (peers), and people will laugh at you. The best way is to stay home.”

Destigmatizing periods boosts confidence, Majer said. “Some years later, you will be somebody. You will see yourself in a different angle.”

The volunteers — some of whom have sewing certificates — can finish a product in five minutes. They take two strips of pre-cut cloth (provided by MCC) and sew them together, adding elastics and buttons after.

“The idea of this program is to empower immigrant women to do the work (with the knowledge) that they came with,” said Rebecca Deng, centre executive director.

Right now, the women are volunteers. Hopefully soon, they’ll be paid for their skills, Deng said.

“Finding a job is one of the challenges in Canada… because of the language barrier.”

The women sew tote bags, masks and cultural garb. The pads have been their latest challenge; those will be shipped in buckets with underwear, towels, soap and other hygiene items. MCC has sent such kits to other countries, including South Sudan.

“It’s a lot of people power here,” said Sophia Bezoplenko, material resources co-ordinator for MCC Manitoba. “I’m so grateful that these women have volunteered… to do this.”

She called the kits life-changing for recipients and said MCC hopes to continue its partnership with the Excel Empowerment Centre.

The public can support the centre by sending monetary donations to First Lutheran Church or giving online at canadahelps.org. Information on making dignity kits is available at mcccanada.ca/kits.

gabrielle.piche@freepress.mb.ca