Our History

Gayle Sommerfeld became aware of the dire need around the globe for reusable sanitary pads in developing countries.  Suprised by this sobering thought, Gayle started research on the topic and soon discovered that more than 500 million girls and women globally suffer from period poverty.

Gayle reached out to a personal contact in Kenya, Robert Gutwa, a Kenyan social worker. Gayle and her husband Don had met Robert on a 2006 mission trip to Africa. Gayle asked him to discuss this delicate topic with the girls in his village. This was his response:

“The young girls reported they lose 48 academic days per year, (4 days per month)  as they avoid going to school due to embarrassment of lack of sanitary pads. They are happy  to learn that you have a pattern that can be re-used. That will work better for the many poor girls who use leaves, old blankets, papers and other funny things so long as it serves the purpose.” 

Recruiting a handful of women at Family In Faith Church in Glendale Heights, IL, Gayle led the group in the search for a dependable pattern to sew. The group discovered the organization Days for Girls. With  permission, they downloaded the pattern and local women began to sew independently and at gatherings called "sew-ins."

As word spread about the needs in Kenya, more churches and sewers joined the ranks. Women gathered as Dignity for Girls groups to sew the Days for Girls patterns. With the aid of Orphan Grain Train the first shipment of 300 kits arrived in Kenya in 2015.  

Robert shared the girls excitement when it came time to distribute the special kits and how the older women called them "magic bags" as they discussed feminine hygiene with the adolescent girls, a topic rarely discussed in their culture.  Over time the teachers documented how the girls were able to remain in school and keep their grades up. Everyone acknowledged the incredible value of the washable pads.

But the women behind the U.S. sewing did not want to just supply the product, they wanted to encourage Kenyan independence. Through a donation a Kenyan seamstress, Gladys, was sent to Uganda to be trained in sewing the products as well as enterprise management. Gladys set up shop in Kisii and began sewing and training local women to sew the much-needed pads. 

BEYOND KITS 

In 2018 the name Dignity4girls (D4G) was established and a board formed. In addition to promoting the sewing and shipping of washable pads, Dignity4Girls also assisted our Kenyan partner ministry in establishing the Grace Community Center on donated land. The center now provides space for their annual kids camp and community gatherings. A hen farm and market stall were built and a sponsorship program for hens and goats for at-risk families was also initiated, knowing livestock would provide crucial nutrition and products to sell. 

As we continue to focus on encouraging girls, D4G  provides scholarships to select Kenyan girls to cover high school fees and needed supplies, funded an industrial electric mixer for a liquid soap enterprise,  funds the Circles of Grace support group for young unwed mothers,  provided a solar powered deep well (borehole) with filtered water for the Kisii community in the midst of frequent droughts, and established a green house with drip irrigation from the bore hole. 

Dignity4Girls has also helped ship over 5,000 kits to Liberia through Liberian Children's Ministries and is in the process of helping establish sewing classes in two rural high schools.