It would seem that Direct Relief administrative controller Julie Aguiniga has enough on her plate without also sewing reusable sanitary kits for girls and women lacking access to feminine-hygiene products. But in her spare time, sew kits she does.
“For me, it’s been an amazing process,” said Aguiniga when we spoke at the Goleta office of Direct Relief, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to people and communities affected by poverty or emergencies. “My mom and I have been doing this for about two years, and we’ve made about 600 kits. This helps me feel so connected to the women we’re supporting in Direct Relief.”
Their kits have been sent to several countries, including Malawi, Peru, and Haiti. “Direct Relief has a program where we do cervical cancer screenings in Haiti,” Aguiniga said. “So some of the women who were found to have pre-cancerous lesions are being treated with cryotherapy, which is freezing, and the women who had the treatment will have discharge for a week or so afterwards as the cells slough off. So we gave kits to them.”
