In November 2020, Category 4 Hurricanes Eta and Iota devastated the Nicaraguan coast – leaving women, girls and communities reeling for months. That’s when our Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Chapter stepped in.
Last week, 320 DfG Kits were safely delivered to menstruators in Biliwi (a remote area affected by the hurricanes), including to a shelter for at-risk youth. It’s all thanks to the Chapter’s partnership with Pittsburgh-based Global Links: a medical relief and development organization dedicated to supporting health improvement initiatives in resource-poor communities.
“It’s been a really good pairing,” Pittsburgh PA Chapter Leader, Karie Charlton, said of the partnership. She added that the Global Links mission to help underserved regions aligns closely with Days for Girls’ efforts to elevate local leaders and facilitate lasting change.
A health brigade that included Global Links partnership agencies, representatives of United Nations agencies and other healthcare professionals took the kits to the Biliwi region. The purpose of the trip was to rebuild and reestablish services in areas suffering from damaged infrastructure and washed-out access roads and bridges.
In total, 120 Kits were taken to Albergue Nidia White Movement shelter of Puerto Cabezas, and 135 were delivered to different communities affected by the hurricanes. The remainder will be delivered as part of future efforts by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Global Links.
“I love making these connections that help all of us make a bigger impact in the world,” Charlton said. “This partnership is very important to provide women with dignity and independence, and to improve the practice and management of menstrual hygiene in rural areas.”
Global Links and UNFPA representatives in Nicaragua also conducted education sessions along with the distribution that were translated into the native language of Mizquito. The Nidia White Movement was thrilled by the distribution, and even asked for more DfG Kits for women in the different communities they serve!
“Both the women and girls were very happy and delighted with their (Days for Girls kit) bags,” said Veronica Trimmino Marroquin, program manager of international medical aid at Global Links. “They were all wearing the bags at the end of the day.”
