Our Stories

Days for Girls, Hervey Bay

By Debbie Butters

Hervey Bay Baptist women have helped establish and lead the local Days for Girls Team since our group commenced in 2017. We have met every month to create beautiful washable, solutions for girls and women in developing nations to help ensure periods are not a problem.
'It’s a privilege to be part of a sewing group making items of immeasurable importance for the lives of young women. Giving them the freedoms, we take for granted.’ – Margaret
Our Hervey Bay team have created and gifted more than 5000 kits to PNG, Cambodia, Vietnam and to World Vision refugee camps. Most are hand delivered by HBBC mission teams such as Anguganak Healthy Motherhood Project. All kit distributions are accompanied with an education program so that young girls and women understand how their bodies develop and function. Helping to remove confusion, shame and superstitions.

Kits are designed and sewn using the patented DfG patterns and high-quality beautiful fabrics providing the girls with items to be proud of that wash well and can last for 3 years. Kits contains 16 items.
  • 2 waterproof shields
  • 8 absorbent flannel liners
  • 2 pairs of undies bikini style sizes ranging from 8-18
  • 1 washcloth
  • 1 hotel size soap
  • 1 sewn waterproof carry pouch
  • 1 beautiful cloth drawstring bag
  • 1 trifold card with health education and care for kits instructions

Girls who receive a kit can now stay in school on the days of menstruating, allowing them to keep learning and have a feeling of pride and worthiness, not shame. A woman can continue working to feed and provide for her family, instead of being ostracised and in risk of infection from using rags or worse.

These facts motivate 12-14 women to meet each month at a Point Vernon home, ready for action. The machines are provided, patterns are cut and plenty of sewing and non-sewing jobs abound.
‘We enjoy a beautiful buzz of friendly productivity and I love that HBBC women play a
pivotal role in this community group.’- Debbie
‘Lovely morning, thank you. I enjoy the productivity, the company and the DfG updates.
We are industrious little chatter boxes.’- Val
  • find out more about DfG on the website  www.daysforgirls.org/australia
  • follow our team on Facebook - Days for Girls Hervey Bay QLD Australia Team
  • support our group through the HBBC Christmas Gift Catalogue - ‘Two Birds’
  • or for further details, contact Debbie Butters 0400 480 256
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