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Days for Girls

(Redirected from Celeste Mergens)

Days for Girls (DfG) is a nonprofit organization that prepares and distributes sustainable menstrual health solutions to girls who would otherwise miss school during their monthly periods. DfG was founded in 2008 by American Celeste Mergens.[1] After visiting an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya, she discovered that menstruating girls stayed in their dormitories for days, sitting on cardboard to absorb their flow, because they could not afford feminine hygiene products. Her first response was to organize donations of disposable sanitary pads, but she realized that this was not a sustainable solution as the girls had no way to dispose of used pads.[2] She then developed the idea of creating washable, reusable pads and providing the girls with a personal kit of all they would need to continue their schooling with hygiene and dignity.[3] By 2018, the DfG Kits (designed to last up to three years) and health education programs had reached more than one million girls and women in over 100 countries.[4][5]

DfG Kits are made by volunteers who work as "teams", some of which go on to acquire the status of "chapters".[6] Student volunteers operate as "clubs".[6] These groups have formed in many countries, including Australia,[7] Canada,[8] New Zealand,[9] the United Kingdom,[10][11] and the United States.[12] Each kit is in a draw-string bag and includes reusable cloth menstrual pads made up of colorful shields and liners, panties, a washcloth and soap, a carry pouch for washing & storing, and other items.[13] The kit enables girls to carry their clean and used pads discreetly and to take care of their own hygiene needs.[14] During the distributions, communities also receive health education to break stigmas and cultural taboos associated with menstruation.[15]

In 2012, Days for Girls International launched an Enterprise Program to help local women establish social enterprises to make and distribute kits in their own countries.[16] Close to 70 Days for Girls Enterprises now exist in more than a dozen countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.[17] In select regions and in order to improve sustainability, DfG kits also come with menstrual cups, which have a longer use life than washable cloth pads.[18]

Days for Girls International is headquartered in Mount Vernon, Washington, United States, and has offices in Ghana, Guatemala, Nepal, and Uganda.[19][20] The organization's impact and transparency have earned high ratings from GuideStar.[21] Celeste Mergens, the organization's founder and CEO, was awarded a Purpose Prize by AARP in 2017.[22]

In 2019, Days for Girls was awarded $250,000 by Goldman Sachs, as the cause supported by the first-place winner in the Goldman Sachs Gives Analyst Impact Fund competition, where analysts from the firm compete to gain support for their chosen nonprofit.[23]

In 2020, Public Interest Registry named Days for Girls International its .ORG of the Year, awarding the organization $45,000 to continue improving female health and education across the globe ($30,000 for .ORG of the Year and $15,000 for the Combatting Coronavirus Award).[24]

Mergens announced her retirement from the organization in January 2022,[25] and published a book, The Power of Days: A Story of Resilience, Dignity, and the Fight for Women's Equity in 2023.[26][27][28] Tiffany Larson was named the new CEO in April 2022.[29]

References

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  1. ^ Thorpe, Devin (2018-01-09). "By women, for women: The new economics of menstrual pads in Africa". ImpactAlpha. Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  2. ^ Hoffman, Ashley. "Days for Girls: Improving Girls' Access to Education, One DfG Kit at a Time". Ecwid. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
  3. ^ Mccray, Linzee Kull (January 7, 2014). "Period Drama: Helping Girls Around the World Navigate "That Time of the Month"". Oprah.com. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  4. ^ "One Million... And Counting!". Days for Girls International | Turning Periods Into Pathways. January 5, 2018. Archived from the original on 23 January 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  5. ^ Davis, Tom (28 January 2018). "Bromsgrove School students bake their way to £180 for charity". Bromsgrove Advertiser. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  6. ^ a b "How DfG Volunteers Work". Days for Girls International. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  7. ^ "Taree Days for Girls raises funds for hygiene kits". Manning River Times. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  8. ^ Kim, Min Jy (February 7, 2018). "Days for Girls charity brings hygiene kits to underprivileged women". The Gazette • Western University's Student Newspaper. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  9. ^ Forrester, Georgia (May 15, 2016). "Charities seeing increasing numbers of women unable to pay for sanitary items". Stuff. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  10. ^ "DAYS FOR GIRLS UK - Charity 1189219". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  11. ^ Thompson, Vicky (8 February 2018). "Students praised for community work in Malawi". The Press (York). Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  12. ^ "DfG USA". Days for Girls International. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  13. ^ "The DfG Pad". Days for Girls International. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  14. ^ "Sewing DfG kits". Days for Girls. Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  15. ^ Montemurri, Patricia (13 February 2016). "Michigan-made sanitary pads keep girls around the world in school". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  16. ^ Mergens, Celeste (February 7, 2018). "Introducing the Enterprise Evaluation Report". Days for Girls International | Turning Periods Into Pathways. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  17. ^ "Become an enterprise partner". Days for Girls. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Days for Girls International | Turning Periods Into Pathways". Days for Girls International | Turning Periods Into Pathways. Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  19. ^ "Enterprise Program". Days for Girls. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  20. ^ "DAYS FOR GIRLS INTERNATIONAL - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  21. ^ "DAYS FOR GIRLS INTERNATIONAL - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  22. ^ "Celeste Mergens". 2017 Purpose Prize Winners. AARP. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  23. ^ "The Fourth Annual Goldman Sachs Gives Analyst Impact Fund". Goldman Sachs. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  24. ^ Registry, Public Interest. "Days for Girls International Named .ORG of the Year". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  25. ^ "Days for Girls Leadership Transition". Days for Girls International. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  26. ^ "The Power of Days (publisher's website)". BenBella Books. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  27. ^ "The Power of Days: A Journey of Hope and Resilience". Days for Girls International. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  28. ^ "The 2023 Mighty Women Reading List for Adults". A Mighty Girl. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  29. ^ "Important Announcement: Tiffany Larson Made Permanent CEO". Days for Girls International. 2022-04-25. Retrieved 2022-05-17.

Further reading

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  • Mergens, Celeste (2023). The Power of Days: A Story of Resilience, Dignity, and the Fight for Women's Equity. BenBella Books. ISBN 9781637743744.
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