Mothers can and do make a difference in the lives of those around them every day. In our experience groups of mothers can make a BIG difference and so the inspiration behind the Mother's Group Challenge is... you! Each month we will plan a Mother's Group Challenge that you can choose to take up. Bear in mind that it's not meant to be done alone, so grab your mummy's group buddies and get it happening together!
Who
Your Mother's Group Challenge for October 2011 is… cloth pads to empower women! This month we are supporting a religious community in Papua New Guinea that distributes cloth pads to women in their area. As with all religious communities, this is not their only contribution to their area they service, but it is an area in which we can help out.
What
In many countries around the world, women aren’t as fortunate as we are in Australia. They can’t simply walk into their local supermarket and pick a pack of pads from the overflowing shelves. In many developing countries, the best they have is rags (if that). Many teenage girls are forced to take a week off school each month because menstruation is such a difficult experience. Our contact in Papua New Guinea was overjoyed with the first lot of 30 pads our mother’s group sent them. They have asked us to send more, but we can’t possibly supply the necessary quantity on our own!
So while we will be busy sewing cloth pads to send to PNG, we’d love you to join us! And to save on postage (the last lot cost over $40 to send), we will post them all together. Please just email us (info@ozbabytrends.com.au) for an Australian postal address.
How
Make
All-In-One style cloth pads are the easiest for use and care. It is important that the pads have a waterproof layer and at least 3 layers of absorbency. There are some great patterns available on the web.
THIS is a great AIO pattern.
And HERE is an AIO pattern that’s a little bit more fancy.
A heartfelt thanks to the women who designed, created, tested and compiled these patterns for home use!
If you don’t have a snap press, please don’t worry! We do, and will happily put snaps on your pads prior to sending them off. We will also print off simple care instructions that will be distributed with the pads.
Tips:
• Wet bags work a treat for the waterproof layer. Try and get your hands on some seconds wet bags from your favourite MCN manufacturer.
• Flannel is on special at Spotlight at the moment with end of season clearances. If you’re a good talker, they might even give you some for free!
• Ask your friends – surely someone has half a metre of cotton or flannel fabric that they’re not using. Would they like to help the cause by donating it to your Mother's Group?
Collect
Not much into sewing?
• Put aside 40 cents a day to purchase a pad and have it sent with your group's pack.
• Ask your favourite retailer if they have any seconds or ex demo stock they can part with.
Please note: We will not send used cloth pads to our sisters in developing countries.
When
NOW! This month. Resolve to do this for October 2011. Whether you get together once a week, once a fortnight or only once a month; make sure you do it this month. There is no better time for action that today. The need is real and immediate. And we will be posting our cloth pad package in early November, so if you want us to post yours off also, please endeavour to get them posted to us by 31 October. Email us for the address: info@ozbabytrends.com.au
Why
Because this is something we can do! Because the women in PNG need cloth pads and because it’s fun! Sewing pads is fun. Making a difference is fun. Mother’s Group is fun.
WHO'S IN?? Let us know how your group decides to tackle the challenge, share your ideas and post photos!
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