Saturday 7th December 2019

Hope     Dignity     Strength     Health     Education      Freedom     Empowerment     Liberty     Safety

Every Girl . Everywhere . Period

Another wonderful Saturday morning Workshop...

Followed by a Days for Girls presentation of a bracket of Christmas songs at the Walkerston Rotary Carols in the evening.

During the Morning Tea break - Joanne and Janet had a quick rehearsal for the evening's Carols; Joy snuck in a 'busker's tin' behind them...They managed to raise - 30cents ! 😄

✨🎅🌲🌟

Days for Girls - Mackay Team : Notice

 Saturday 14^th December will be the last Workshop for 2019!

All Days for Girls volunteers and supporters are invited for Lunch.

Please bring a plate - and a 'Secret Santa' gift to exchange (to the value of $10)  

 Workshops will recommence  - Saturday 18th January 2020

Hope     Dignity     Strength     Health     Education      Freedom     Empowerment     Liberty     Safety

Sunday 24th November 2019

Hope     Dignity     Strength     Health     Education      Freedom     Empowerment     Liberty     Safety

Every Girl . Everywhere . Period

Here are a couple of items which were, unintetionally, omitted from yesterday's Diary entry 😪...

Bek is one of our 'Solo' volunteers who both lives and works away from Mackay, so doesn't have a chance to join us at workshops very often.

We received a lovely email with a photo of Bek's work, which she wanted to share with the Team! 😄

Well Done Bek! 

We thank you for what you are able to do, and look forward to your next visit!

💖

You may have missed our Kate at Saturday workshops of late?

Kate is lining up for a bit of Eye Surgery in the near future, so will be away - she thinks, possibly until when we start our workshops again in the new year?

Here is where Kate is up to with her beautiful handiwork - the Days Gone By #2 Quilt 😄

 Our Good Wishes go to Kate - for a speedy recovery for you after surgery; and also the Very Best to you for Christmas and the New Year!

💖

Reiterating some important DfG information: 

• Our Days for Girls Saturday Workshops will finish on the 14th December for the 2019 year. Everyone will then be ready to restart on the 18th January 2020 - with re-charged batteries, and full of energy and, no doubt, waiting to get back to the wonderful friendships and camaraderie of the workshops. 👸

• There will be an End-of-Year Lunch and Secret Santa on the 14th December - about 12.00md to 12.30.

• Days for Girls team members, and friends, are invited to join a 'Days for Girls Singing Group' 😀 - at a one-of-special appearance at the Walkerston Rotary Carols...              If you don't feel brave enough to grace the stage, please just come along and join in the fun and frivolity of a lovely family community Carols evening! 🎅

Hope     Dignity     Strength     Health     Education      Freedom     Empowerment     Liberty     Safety

Saturday 23rd November 2019

Hope     Dignity     Strength     Health     Education      Freedom     Empowerment     Liberty     Safety

Every Girl . Everywhere . Period

Another busy DfG morning with lots of work; 50 kits packed and ready for distribution. 

Once again - a Raffle raising funds for DfG material...and a lovely Morning Tea with Trish's Fruit Slice...scroll down for Recipe.👍

Trish’s Fruit Slice

1 cup of SR Flour

1 cup of Sugar

1 cup of Coconut

125 gm melted Butter

2 Eggs

1 packet of fruit

Mix all together.

Bake in Oven @ 160° for 25 minutes

Can replace SR Flour with 2 cups of Almond Meal

Can replace fruit with Diced Apricot

                    Hope     Dignity     Strength     Health     Education      Freedom     Empowerment     Liberty     Safety

International 22nd November 2019

Celeste Mergens: 2019 Global Hero Award Recipient

November 22, 2019

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Celeste Mergens

When I received a call from Kristen Daily, executive director of Global Washington, a few weeks ago, I was excited to hear from her. Global Washington is a Seattle-based organization whose mission is to promote international development by coordinating the efforts of other globally-minded philanthropic, research and business organizations. As a longtime Washington resident who started Days for Girls from my home, I have been a long time member and admire the work that Global Washington does. 

But what Kristen shared with me took my breath away! When she informed me that I had been selected to receive the 2019 Global Hero Award, I was amazed. Days for Girls began only 11 years ago, with one simple idea: to bring menstrual supplies to an overcrowded orphanage in Kenya. That idea has taken on a life of its own and we have turned “impossible” into “possible.” 

A day when all girls have the menstrual supplies they need to stay in school is achievable in our lifetime. A day when women are not shamed for having periods is achievable in our lifetime.

This award, a lifetime achievement award, has been given out to heroes of mine including Bill Gates Sr., co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Jennifer Potter, former CEO of the Initiative for Global Development and Bill Neukom, founder of the World Justice Project. You can imagine what an honor it was to be following in their footsteps. The honor of this award and the awareness that is arising from it wouldn’t have happened if it weren't for all of you. 

As I prepared my speech, all of you were on my mind. I couldn’t have done this alone! I’m honored to receive this award, but I want to dedicate it to you. To the 65,000 Days for Girls volunteers. To the leaders of 148 DfG Enterprises. To the countless members of Chapters and Teams across the globe. To our amazing DfG staff. But especially, I dedicate this award to the 1.5 million women and girls that we’ve had the honor of serving since 2008. 

This one is for you. 🧡

Saturday 16th November 2019

Hope     Dignity     Strength     Health     Education      Freedom     Empowerment     Liberty     Safety

Every Girl . Everywhere . Period

Our Days for Girls Saturday Workshops will finish on the 14th December for the 2019 year. Everyone will then be ready to restart on the 18th January 2020 - with re-charged batteries, and full of energy and, no doubt, waiting to get back to the wonderful friendships and camaraderie of the workshops. 👸

 

There will be an End-of-Year Lunch and Secret Santa on the 14th December - about 12.00md to 12.30.

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Hope     Dignity     Strength     Health     Education      Freedom     Empowerment     Liberty     Safety

DfG International - 14th November 2019

Days for Girls Periodical   November 13, 2019 Dear Days for Girls family, As we approach the season of giving thanks, you are at the top of my list. Days for Girls supporters, volunteers, and leaders have made so much possible.You are amazing and this work would simply not be possible without you! We have high school clubs that host fundraisers, sewing circles that create beautiful DfG Kits, and enterprise leaders that go above and beyond. We have extraordinary partners like doTERRA and Starbucks, people who donate their birthdays, advocates who speak up, and so much more. Together, we are a force that cannot be stopped until we reach every girl. everywhere. period. It matters. You may have heard of Jacqueline, a young girl in Kenya who recently took her own life after being shamed for her period in her class. That news broke my heart, and I know it broke yours, too. But even through the immense sadness I feel, I am thankful that Days for Girls' local Ambassador of Women’s Health, Anita was called in to counsel and comfort parents, kids, and teachers, so that the community can learn from this tragedy and prevent any more period shaming. This is something we can change, together. Thank you for all that you do — I can’t wait to see what we accomplish in these final months of 2019. For the girls. With gratitude,  Celeste Mergens Founder & CEO   Notes from the Field More than 10,000 South African Girls Have Access to DfG Kits The Days for Girls Enterprise in Klipkop, South Africa is making a huge difference in their community. The staff have been working tirelessly to produce top quality DfG Kits. Since opening as an enterprise in March of 2017, this amazing enterprise has held more than 226 Ambassador of Women’s Health Trainings for members of the community! Each AWH Training hosts an average of 58 girls per training session — which means a team of just three people has trained more than 13,196 girls! In addition, they have provided DfG Kits to 10,564 of these young girls. They don’t have any intention of stopping now: the sewists now are producing about 700 Kits per month! Thank you to the INCREDIBLE team in Klipkop for making this happen! The Period Emoji is Here   The period emoji was released in Apple’s newest update, and while it’s been a bit controversial on social media, we’re here to tell you that it’s a good thing!   Every day, women and girls around the world suffer from period shaming, and this emoji has the potential to change that.   “It’s a small enough thing. Just a little red droplet. But that little droplet is about to make a big difference to girls everywhere. The period emoji is finally here and I could not be more excited about it and it’s potential for opening up the conversation about menstruation.”   Read the full blog here > > > Goldman Sachs Joins the Menstrual Movement  Exciting news for girls around the world! Each year, Goldman Sachs hosts an annual competition, where analysts across the firm compete for a chance to win grants to support nonprofits of their choice. The fourth annual Analyst Impact Fund attracted hundreds of compelling proposal submissions from a record-breaking 975 employees, all aimed at addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Ultimately, the first-place prize – a $250,000 grant – was awarded to a London-based analyst team representing Days for Girls! We are thrilled to be able to support more women and girls thanks to the generosity of Goldman Sachs and the incredible London team that pitched our work to the judges! Watch the presentation here > > > Giving Update International Day of the Girl 2019 When we announced our International Day of the Girl fundraising goal, the DfG community stepped up! We raised enough money to send DfG Kits and health education to more than one THOUSAND women and girls in communities that lack access to period products. We believe that girls with dreams become women with vision. And when your donations pave the pathway to success, you enable an entire generation to chase those dreams. From all of us at Days for Girls — and from all the girls whose days you helped give back — thank you! DONATE NOW!