Today two major causes of global poverty are: little to no access to livelihoods or jobs and poor education, especially for girls. Guatemalan communities are impacted by these struggles with few pathways to escape poverty.. 75% of girls will drop out of school before they become teenagers, leading to repeating the poverty cycle of their parents to break this cycle, we intend to do the following:
1. Ensure that girls continue to receive an education. Girls in countries that lack access to basic hygiene will often spend several days a month sitting on cardboard in their homes, waiting for their menstrual cycle to end. They miss school for several weeks a year, as well as face the shame that comes with a lack of menstrual health education and access to pads, and consequently drop out of school. We can minimize this by eliminating shame, etc by giving them access to reusable menstrual pads, the Days for Girls model.
2. Improve students' future opportunities through internships and scholarships. Creating an enterprise in the community of making reusable menstrual pads will give the high school students internship positions: administrative tasks of running a business such as accounting, marketing, sales, exposing them to new career opportunities. We seek to ensure that all students who excel, show initiative and desire to continue their educations can do so. Funds raised will provide scholarships earned from the internships and for younger students showing potential who want, but do not have the means, of attending this high school.
3. Create jobs that will provide financial sustainability in the community. Bringing a Days for Girls enterprise to the Guatemalan community will not only enhance the lives and futures of the youth in the area, but also improve the livelihoods of the adults. The adults will sew and produce menstrual pads and menstruation kits. The initial start up of the Enterprise will be funded by monies raised. Thereafter, the Enterprise will be run by the community and school, thus creating paid jobs for the adults.
4. Help the environment through sustainable projects. The high school is currently running several projects that focus on recycling and cutting down waste: creating rugs and blankets, out of recycled products; making soap from natural available plants; and basic reusable menstrual pads, designed by the students.. We will support the students improve their efforts and also incorporate promoting Days for Girls, reusable menstrual pads, which will retard the overproduction and use of plastic/paper menstrual pads in the community and world.
Project Funds will be used to:
Enhance existing school sustainable businesses $1000
Purchase a Days for Girls Enterprise $3000
Purchase sewing machines and related tools $3000
Salary for a director $3000
Salary for community seamstress $2000
Internshhips and scholarships $3000
Total $15,000
The goal is that after one year the project will be sustainable, given sales from the products.
Club project leader will be in contact daily with the Guatemalans working on the project and travel to Guatemala 3 or 4 times throughout the year. Club members will go down to Guatemala at least two times to work with the school and community. Club leader on this project also has a strong relationship with local Guatemalan rotary clubs who will support this project in the community through its ties to the local mayor and town committee.
(Days for Girls is a global movement that prepares and distributes sustainable menstrual health solutions. Their product is world tested and this high school is on board to use their designs. It is a known fact that girls around the world in third world countries stop going to school when they start their period because they cannot afford disposable pads.)
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