Days for Girls gives to nunnery
Moved to tears by the daily struggles of young girls in northern India, a Drouin woman has joined forces with Days for Girls West Gippsland to donate feminine hygiene kits.
Drouin naturopath Leonie Blackwell was leading a healing retreat in Ladakh, also known as “Little Tibet”, when she volunteered to teach English at Tingmosgang Nunnery.
After showing the nuns a Days for Girls kit, Ms Blackwell was told “we have nothing” and such kits would “make our life so much easier.”
“It’s a thing we take for granted,” she said. “But they were just so excited (by the kits).”
Vowing to supply each nun who has a period with a kit on returning to Australia, Leonie teamed up with Lorraine Forsyth of Days for Girls West Gippsland group to send 15 kits.
“I didn’t want them to wait 12 months,” said Ms Blackwell. “I’ll take more back next year as well for any new nuns.”
Whilst a nearby monastery for men receives resources, Ms Blackwell said the nunnery only gained mattresses and pillows last year. This is despite the peak winter seeing temperatures drop to between minus 30 and minus 50 degrees.
“I cried,” she added. “It really had a big impact seeing these young girls living in that situation. And it bothers me that they are treated differently just because they were born a girl.”
The nuns range in age from six to 82 years and are vegetarians living on rice, lentils and dried apricots with occasional potato and onion for variety.
However, in addition to supplying Days for Girls kits, Ms Blackwell will return in July 2018 to donate a water pump allowing establishment of a new vegetable garden as well as teaching preserving and pickling to the nuns and other women in the community.
To help, donations of jars as well as student atlases printed in the last five years are sought.
The Days for Girls packs sent to northern India are amongst an estimated 300 packs already donated this year by the West Gippsland Group.
And Lorraine Forsyth estimates a total of 600 will be distributed before the end of 2017.
With each kit containing eight liners, two shields, a pair of underpants and a bag, Ms Forsyth said “it’s quite a lot of sewing”.
To maintain their work, the group is always seeking keen volunteers and “you don’t have to be a ‘sewist’”. Donations of material and hotel-sized soap are always appreciated.
Ms Forsyth said the need for kits was amazing, with the group having helped girls in Cambodia, East Timor, Philippines, various African countries such as Uganda and Kenya, and now India.
“I think now I’ve got all these kits, what will I do with them,” she said. “Then I get approached by someone.”
To find out more about Days for Girls West Gippsland, call Lorraine Forsyth on 0425 248 486.
To assist Leonie Blackwell with donations of jars and atlases or to learn more about her healing retreats to Ladakh, visit The Essence of Healing in Hope St, Drouin or visit essenceofhealing.com.au.