Zimbabwe and the Man Who Would Not Take No for an Answer

Hello from Zimbabwe!

Today was amazing. Truly amazing. Do you remember how the DFG team last time trained 48 women and 2 men to be Ambassadors of Women's Health and to train others to make their own kits? One of the men was with the Ministry of Education, the other was sent by the governor's Self Help program and though we advised that it may be especially hard for the women to discuss hygiene. This small and humble man would not take no for an answer. Just as we expected, the women were worried about having men there when we discussed reproductive health but after the man who came from the Ministry of Education shared his experience with learning about the issues of women only after he kept asking why girls had such a steep dropout level in Secondary school when the boys did not. He said, "It is time for everyone to know of this issue."  And in the end the women voted for them both to stay. So, yesterday we met the man that simply would not take no for an answer to interview him about his efforts.  He shared with us how women at first were too ashamed to talk with him. He told them that they are not ashamed to tell their son-in-laws when they have AIDS and are dying. That AIDS happens because men and women get together and have relations, even with multiple partners over time. So why not be open and talk about how your body works and how you can avoid getting AIDS?  Then he explained to us that he had traveled to purchase more fabric on his own so that he could help more women in his community. That it matters so much and he didn't want the women to go without healthy options. We had chills.  We will keep working to gathering stories everywhere. Have you been watching on Facebook? We wish we could post photos of him but don't worry, we got plenty. We will share them when we can. Video too!

This coming week we will work with the trainers to help girls at a disability school make kits. The woman that referred us said that the kits would be far more comfortable then even the sponsored disposable ones that do not work well.  

Speaking of, that woman will be interviewing us on Zimbabwe national radio tomorrow. She is a brilliant and beautiful woman, a little person and a celebrity here. She has the most beautiful thin hands with long fingers with a gold ring on each. It is enchanting to watch the elegant way she uses them while speaking. She said that this is such an important issue and she is excited to interview us, then coached us on the questions she will ask. We'll post the interview after it airs.

And we completed the paperwork for Days for Girls Africa to become it's own nonprofit here in Zimbabwe. Amazing isn't it?  Kayte, the Central California Director is here with Celeste and that Kayte, she is a whizz!  We have appointments with the Vice President of Zimbabwe this week and the Minister of Education next. This adventure of stepping up to reach the girls wherever they are that is unfolding before us day by day without a script is not only fulfilling and remarkable, it is truly a joy. We just walk on. Kayte says she is still getting used to just having faith and watching things come together again and again. But they do! 

So there was also more good news and some bad news today. The tiny bad news was that Don's tippy tap handwashing machine at the YWCA that was built during training this Fall was "attacked" by a group of 200 students staying at the YWCA who loved playing with it and dismantled it a bit in the process. We had heard that it was still there and they had gone through another bar of soap in using it. But it is gone. We were sad. We were really excited to see it there being used still. We are taking the components to build a new home for it far in the provinces while following up on the impact of the program here. Thank you to all that make this remarkable program possible. It is such an honor to be part of it and to do so with such remarkable people. Photos next time!

Girls are Precious

I wish you could have heard them sing. 50 girls in harmony, "Girls are precious, that's our motto." 6 Zimbabwe DFG Ambassadors of Women's Health from the October training came and sacrificed time and their own funds to get to the training for 50 girls. Unheard of in nations where things are so tight... but that is what they did.  They also conducted training on Tuesday and last Thursday. No wonder they have done over 3000 kits since October! They arrived at 9 AM and did not leave until almost 5 PM. They moved around the room expertly guiding. The girls sewed and sang and celebrated their new kits. One girl said, "I loved the lecture. I learned so much. I am so happy I learned." The girls didn't want to leave. We took plenty of photos and video footage. Wait until you hear them share from their own mouths what they used before. Technical difficulties in posting them quite yet, but we'll get it up and posted for you! Thank you SO much for all you make possible. Can't wait for you to see it for yourself.

Hello from Zimbabwe!

Hello from Zimbabwe!
We're here and our layover in Frankfurt may have helped with the jetlag a bit.  Today we mostly spent two hours trying to figure out how to print four letters for dignitaries to request meetings, all without power or wifi. This took visits to a cafe with wifi (where unfortunately Kayte and I had to purchase a hot chocolate to merit a space at a table. I know, someone had to make the sacrifice) followed by a visit to a cyber cafe to do the printing. But the first cafe had power, so even though it was a drawn out process to get on the wifi, at least our laptop got charged up!  Then we mostly prepared for distribution tomorrow by gathering the in-country supplies and readying to watch the Zimbabwe team teach 50 girls to make their own kits. These are the women our team trained in October, so we get to record the results. That and the items we brought with us this time will start going into action first thing in the AM. Thank you to all of you who contributed to make this all possible. All who donated, all who sent in items, and all who helped pack it all up. Monday we start our travels to gather the stories of those who have kits now in thanks to their efforts and yours and to record the stories and surveys of results. So soon you will have many more stories of the difference it makes. We can't wait! Pray that Kayte and Celeste can be expert filmers and photographers. Celeste is going to try to be David Perry and Lee Groberg and Kayte is going to be Cheyenne Ellis. Yeah, wish us luck.

Okay, have to go back to bed. The power is usually on in the middle of the night and you know how jetlag works. It's 3:32 and we have to be up in 3 hours to go start our recording of the miracles YOU all make possible in so many ways. Thanks for all you do. We'll keep in touch. Photos tomorrow!

Follow the Results this Summer

Our bags are packed and we're ready to go. DFGi Supporters have been sending items for us to take for months so it wasn't easy to fit it all in. Now the day has come... tomorrow morning we head to the airport at 6:30 AM. In the next 5 1/2 weeks you can follow us as we capture the stories of how past expeditions and resources have helped. How trainers are doing at reaching their goals to serve as Ambassadors of Women's Health. AND we'll travel to train more women and multiply the results in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, and Uganda. We'll share the news as we go. We can't wait to gather survey's, meet more of the people you have helped and learn more about how their lives have changed.

The Changes a Kit Can Make

We had a very large goal to obtain and thanks to you, we reached it! Recent distributions in Kenya were phenomenal. We passed out hundreds of kits. One set was during a near monsoon. As usual, when they heard what we were there to distribute the cheers were deafening, far beyond the pelleting rain on the metal roof. Later we saw them welcomed gratefully to several health clinics.

Perhaps the most powerful demonstration of gratitude I have ever “heard” was at a deaf school.The girls there watched the signing translator introduce each of the team and at each introduction they signed “hello” and then raised their hands with waving fingers, a sign we were told represented a cheer. But when they were told that we brought washable feminine hygiene, their eyes widened and eyebrows raised as if in orchestrated union. Then their arms shot as high as they could wave them and their fingers waved with such enthusiasm, but there was no sound except groans of excitement. It was the most powerful evidence of the joy these kits bring that I have ever witnessed. And YOU helped make it possible.

While there we were also invited to discuss Female Genital Mutilation. We hoped to have some impact as we had learned that 90% of the population in the area participate in FGM so we came prepared with a unique presentation. We commended their practice to honor their young girls becoming women and asked them to make a new decision and NOT include cutting in the rite because “Kenyan women are powerful naturally.” We introduced purple ribbons representing making a new choice to honor that they are beautiful naturally. Several days later their top six FGM cutters came to us and declared that they were laying down their knives for good, for their daughters. We later had the opportunity to introduce the campaign at an arena with thousands of people present.

The places Days For Girls kits go… the lives they change… and the doors that open when they arrive, never cease to amaze us. Thanks to all who continue to make kits possible.

A Journey of Kits