…exciting developments and funds to pay for them

Although the last year has been challenging in so many ways for so many of us, some exciting developments have taken place for the Beatrice Project and a new day seems to be dawning. Not only have Joy and her team managed to keep visits to the girls going, with regular (if somewhat different!) workshops, but they are beginning to see a new sense of freedom and optimism in the girls.

They have taken part in workshops with real interest and enthusiasm, sometimes entertaining one another with dance performances or learning to play musical chairs!

Support from the communities continues to grow and it is so encouraging to see the adults pushing things forward, supporting their young people and enabling them to remain in school and begin to make wise choices in their lives. Earlier this year, Joy addressed a group of over 20 community leaders including head teachers, health care workers and village elders, many of them men, at which plans for a new sewing room were discussed and developed. Along with this there are plans to continue the work begun with boys, again using the Auntie Stell kits as a resource.

The recent Quiz, held on Zoom with 29 teams and 150 participants, was a great success, raising a massive £2,300, enough to cover completely the setting up of this sewing room, equipping it with two sewing machines, an initial 40 metres of fabric and several rolls of elastic, as well as all the necessary pins, threads, scissors, bobbins and needles! These will be kept in a locked room at one of the schools and will make it possible for a teacher to supervise the girls as they learn to make their own re-usable cloth sanitary pads. Increasing numbers of girls are choosing to use the menstrual cups or these washable pads and fewer girls are using the unsustainable disposable pads, which is great news for us and for the environment!

Thank you to all our supporters for the part you play in all this and especially, on this occasion, to those who participated in the Quiz. We could not carry on without you!