When Issy Sanderson first heard about the effect period poverty has on women around the world, she was taken aback out how much it can affect their lives. She witnessed women trying to cope in poor conditions, some using feathers or sleeping on piles of dirt as they didn’t have access to any sort of sanitary product.
This scarcity of suitable sanitary products has knock on effects for the women and girls living in these countries.
Issy explained: “When girls are menstruating they are unable to go to school. Not only does this effect their education, but also puts them at risk of abuse, as they are by themselves at home, rather than in a safe school environment.
She witnessed women trying to cope in poor conditions, some using feathers or sleeping on piles of dirt as they didn’t have access to any sort of sanitary product."
“In Nepal, when women are menstruating they are unable to stay in the house. They have to stay elsewhere in barns or shacks. They also aren’t allowed to touch food or anything others may touch, meaning they are reliant on someone bringing them food in order to get any sort of meal.”
Issy wanted to help and drew her experience from living and working in developing countries, where she ran self-help projects in poor communities, to help tackle the suffering of girls and women who do not have access to feminine hygiene products.
Issy, a member of York Ainsty Rotary, began the Yorkits project providing women and girls with the tools, equipment and knowledge to make their own reusable sanitary products.
The Yorkits project runs hands-on workshops where volunteers come together to make washable and easy to use feminine hygiene kits.
Recently Issy held the annual Yorkits workshops at York Minster, where over 200 volunteers came to help make the feminine hygiene kits.
During this workshop 75 full kits were made. Each kit will last 3 years, and will allow the girls to go to school and have access to a full education. The 75 kits made in that one day will give girls an additional 11,250 extra school days, and keep them in a safe environment.
The Yorkits project runs hands-on workshops where volunteers come together to make washable and easy to use feminine hygiene kits."
Issy added: “The girls and women love receiving the kits, they understand how much of a difference they can make.”
Yorkits has helped to highlight the issue of period poverty overseas and in the UK. The kits have changed lives, particularly in Africa and Asia, giving thousands of girls access to uninterrupted education, and giving women in the community the means to make their own self-help kits, tackling ‘period poverty’ internationally.
Issy added that the success of Yorkits and the difference it has made would not have been made possible without the help of all the volunteers
“All the volunteers that have helped me are all Champions of Change.”
Find out more about the Yorkits project here.
Rachel Holliday has overcome significant personal issues in her life, including drug addiction and homelessness. Today she uses her experience to help support others going through similar struggles.
Rachel was nominated by Whitehaven Castle Rotary club for the Community Champions Award thanks to her project ‘Women Out West’ (WOW). The project, is a ground-breaking, community-based venture for women who have low self-esteem caused by domestic violence, mental health issues, imprisonment and a culture of low expectation.
Rachel explains: “The centre is attended by many women from all over West Cumbria looking for a 'hand up' not a 'hand out' to turn their complex lives around, not only for themselves but also their families.”
The aim of WOW is to directly support 200 women each year with outcomes relating to a reduction in female offending, incidents of domestic violence, and get more women into training, education and employment with a focus on self-employment.
The centre is attended by many women from all over West Cumbria looking for a 'hand up' not a 'hand out' to turn their complex lives around."
Since opening, WOW has provided a safe space for many women of various ages who have very multifaceted needs. The centre, based in the heart of the community, provides an opportunity to seek advice, socialise in a safe environment, participate in a beauty salon or use the IT suite.
Over the past four years she has been the inspiration behind changing lives of so many people in West Cumbria.
Rachel’s first major project was to champion and open Calderwood House homeless hostel in Egremont, Cumbria. This project wasn’t easy and Rachel faced many challenges with local residents and businesses opposing the idea. However Rachel persevered and raised sufficient funds to have a centre that now provides six month residential accommodation, primarily for homeless veterans.
Nothing phases Rachel in her belief that everyone deserves a home and the chance of turning their lives around.
As coronavirus swept across the country the decision was made to close the doors to WOW, however staff are still available to take calls from home, with peer support workers still seeing speaking to ladies online and over the phone.
Nothing phases Rachel in her belief that everyone deserves a home and the chance of turning their lives around.
Rachel added “my staff are my inspiration, they are selfless and have made sure that every single lady on our database had a phone call and a welfare check to their home for those they couldn’t contact.
“It is times like these when the real heroes shine, and that is our front line workers. When the pandemic is over, I do hope we see a shift of how we view those at the front line, helping the most vulnerable in our community and saving lives.”
You can find out more about the work Rachel and the Women Out West team do on their website.
