The sewing centers in the northern part of Haiti which have been created as a part of this program are the result of many years of work in Haiti. This began in approximately 2006, when Ellen Schreder began making short term trips to Haiti. She soon learned that she could use her lifetime love of sewing as a way to connect with Haitian men and women who already had some sewing skills and were looking for ways to use those skills to help to support their families. Leslee Jaeger, an OB/GYN, was doing short term medical mission work, also in the northern part of Haiti.
Dr. Jaeger recognized the great need for girls and women to have access to menstrual hygiene products, as well as menstrual health education.
This led them to Days for Girls, an organization which started in Washington State in 2008 as an answer to this same issue. That is, the need for girls and women all over the developing world to have access to menstrual health education and feminine hygiene products led DFG founder Celeste Mergens to create what has now become a worldwide organization.
Ellen and Leslee began by gathering the patterns and supplies and learning more about the educational program, Ambassadors of Women’s Health. Ellen’s first trip to Haiti to teach the seamstresses and tailors how to make the menstrual hygiene products was in 2014. Several trips per year since then, and the process of applying for and obtaining a Rotary International Grant, has resulted in well over 1,500 girls and women who have benefitted from the menstrual health education and who have received the reusable menstrual kits.
In an effort to assist the members of our Haitian sewing program to create an ongoing, sustainable project, the groups have been sewing other items, which have been sold to and used by people in Haiti, as well as doing contract sewing projects for customers in the United States. The Haitian seamstresses and tailors who are part of our program in Cap-Haitian, Haiti are joyful and loving people. The income that they have earned to assist in supporting their families has made a great and positive impact.
In addition to the menstrual kits, the groups have been making reusable baby diapers, baby blankets, baby hats, men’s and women’s surgical caps, as well as market tote bags. These items are avaialble for sale, both to the Haitians and to groups visiting Haiti.
Various NGO’s and other organizations have arranged for kit distributions at their locations. The seamstresses in our program have been trained to present the educational information with the Ambassadors of Women’s Health program.
