Becky Johnson on Facebook, part of the Hadamayaa group, says “Will you donate £6 to buy a woman in The Gambia a Mooncup and give her the gift of sanitary protection – something we take for granted? Over 50 women pleaded with me in July to bring them a Mooncup each. Help me make this possible.”
I have checked that the women for whom the funds are being raised have access to clean water and facilities for cleaning their cups. Back when ACTSA: Action for Southern Africa first had their Dignity! Period campaign going on for Zimbabwean women, some people complained that the women were being given pads rather than reusables. The worry then was that water and soap were in such short supply that the cups/sea pearls/reusable pads wouldn’t be able to be cleaned properly, introducing more problems for the women. I have been assured that the women involved here are able to clean their cups safely.
If you can spare six pounds (approximately ten US dollars), you could provide a woman with the freedom that comes with having adequate sanitary protection. If you’d like to help out, you can go to this page to donate via PayPal, or contact Becky at her Facebook page (linked above) to donate another way.
Update: I have had clarification from Becky on the concerns raised in comments.
“In The Gambia, not all tribes practice FGM, and those that do remove the clitoris. The women I work with are all able to give birth naturally and therefore will obviously be able to insert a cup. Mooncup were very thorough about checking exactly what the circumstances of the women I work with are – including that the girls who are not yet married will not be able to use the cups as they must have their hymen intact for ritual purposes on their marriage night and that any women with fistulas will not able to use the cup… can I just clarify that it is MOST of the tribes who only remove the clitoris, but some do practice the FGM where the vagina is sewn closed. However, everything is explained to the women first, healthcare workers will be present at every distribution meeting and will be available to the women throughout their using the cups so there really should be no issue. I am not forcing anyone to use the cups, merely providing the option to those who can and want to use them.
