Submitted by: Penny White
Submitted by: Penny White
In Kenya, Africa, sanitary products are too expensive for the average girl. They resort to using rags, leaves, newspapers, pieces of mattress stuffing, and mud.
In Japan, young girls at one time could not hold traditional chef positions because it was believed their system was off balance each month, interferring with tasting foods prepared.
In Nepal, girls are isolated for a week. They are sent to a shed with little protection from the elements, exposing them to life-threatening illnesses and little human contact.
In Malawi, a woman’s cycle brings so much shame it becomes a strict secret; parents do not even talk about it.
In Bolivia, girls keep their menstrual pads out of sight, even out of the trash, because traditional belief is if these items are mixed in garbage, it can lead to sickness or cancer. There are also limited private bathrooms.
In parts of India, folklore has some females believing if they are menstruating, any vegetable they handle will spoil. Girls are advised to avoid cooking during their cycle to avoid polluting the food.
In Afghanistan, they believe that taking a shower during the monthly cycle will cause infertility.
In Iran, nearly half of the girls believe they have a disease.
The challenges of costs, taboos, superstitions of monthly feminine cycles still exist. Project Shield is a ministry to help young girls through their feminine cycle with dignity and knowledge to bless their health.
In the fall of 2016, retired pastor Austin Goodwin, from Virginia, visited the Apison, Tenn., Church, and its “Kids in Stitches” (KISM) sewing ministry. He met the 12-member team, asking them to consider sewing personal feminine kits for young girls of Kenya and other nations.
Goodwin’s intense desire was for KISM to create kits in carry bags packed with protective shields, menstrual pads, underwear, clothespins, zip lock baggies, and instruction sheets. With proper care, the Project Shield kits last two-plus years at no cost to the young girls.
The members of KISM initially resisted taking on Project Shield, but God kept pressing this on their hearts. They accepted the challenge and have watched God bless.
In December, Project Shield feminine kit production began in faith with no funding. Prayers soared. Young girls would no longer miss classes for a week each month. They would not resort to being harbored in dark, smelly huts until their cycle passed, or have to search for items to control their cycle.
Disease and death could be greatly reduced. Cultural taboos impacting their emotional and mental health would be minimized, as health education would give them new understanding of their own body processes, with hope for the future. Lives could change.
God convicted KISM that this mission outreach would have the most powerful effect of anything the team could create.
God moves in marvelous ways. Cuba received 217 kits this past March, and Columbia received 100 kits in May. Upcoming shipments are scheduled for Equador in June, Nigeria in August, Malawi in October, and Haiti in the last quarter of 2017.
Mission teams are taking kits to the world. This will continue as KISM has the needed supplies to construct the kits.
By faith God will work miracles to fill these requests. He has already provided with fabric and other needed donations to continue this ministry.
KISM is passionate for His daughters around the world. They move in faith to answer Him. Please join this fabulous journey! Email Penny White at white_penny49@yahoo.com.
Georgia-Cumberland | July 2017
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