Monday 1 August 2016

It's a girl thing

Linda Markey (far right) and the team
 Sanitary protection for that "time of the month" are something girls and women in the developed world take for granted.
Not so for those living in the impoverished world. 
For our girls on free place scholarships to Happy House School, sanitary pads are beyond the family budget,
They are embarrassed by using makeshift pads or reusable pads fashioned from rags during their period.
 Who wants to wash their sanitary pads, specially when they don't have access of running water?
So we aim to empower our young women by providing them with disposable sanitary protection.
It lifts their spirits, their confidence and their aspirations.
Sanitary pads are  up at the top of the list of items visitors can bring to Happy House when they visit, along with deodorants and toothpaste.
We were extremely grateful to Linda Markey, who is in Priscilla's sponsor family, for a donation of sanitary pads from the community interest company she directs, UR Potential Blackpool.
A long-time youth worker, Linda heads up an amazing team who understand that for some people within our communities it is difficult to make that step into either volunteering, employment or further education.They provide support through establishing peer mentors, befriending groups and training to ensure that step is a pleasant and rewarding experience.
Andrew
And because her work involves raising the aspirations of girls and young women, Linda  has a real insight of how something as simple as sanitary pads can make a world of difference.
Linda and her team had a large quantity of sample packs, donated to them for an awareness event, left over and she very kind offered them to Happy House.
When Elizabeth Gomm went to collect the pads were in boxes with information and various product samples.
With the help of UR Potential volunteer Andrew Swift she separated all the pads for Happy House, with the tampons and other samples left to go to local women's charities.
Mama and Papa took as many of the pads as they could back with them, and more will be going out with Hailey and Debbie Aspinall who visit soon.
Huge thanks UR Potential from all our girls.
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