The year of her first mission trip to Vietnam, Sue Eimerbrink and the other volunteers from Northwood Church held a training about personal hygiene for middle school girls. As they shared the training material, they also took time to hear from the girls themselves about their needs and concerns and learned that menstruation created a significant roadblock to their education. While disposable feminine products are readily available in larger cities like Hanoi, they are expensive and hard to find in the remote areas in the mountains, and as a result many of the girls are missing out on up to 25% of their educational year.

The mission team asked the girls if they would be interested in a solution to manage their hygiene needs and continue with school and other regular activities, and were met with an emphatic, “YES!” With some guidance from a partner church in Virginia, Sue was able to provide sewing instructions and mobilize volunteers to create reusable sanitary kits. On her second trip to Vietnam, Sue and the team distributed the kits to 92 girls, who were thrilled to receive them. Recalling the look on their faces when receiving the kits, Sue expressed, “I know how it was appreciated. I felt a thank you to God when I saw that look on their faces, that we were able to do that…it feels like a little thing that we take for granted, but it’s going to make a huge difference in their lives.”

After their distribution last year, Sue has adapted the original pattern to make the products easier for the girls to make on their own. This fall she will make her third trip to Vietnam and plans to take 100-120 kits so that each girl will receive a kit and any leftovers can be given to the teachers.

Mobilizing volunteers worldwide to help transform lives.

The cloth parts of the hygiene kit are all handmade by about 20 volunteers from women’s groups and even a handful of teens from the church. These volunteers participate in sewing workshops throughout the year to prepare for the fall mission trips. With so many kits to prepare each year, Sue is always on the lookout for new volunteers. While there is always a need for more people with sewing skills, she notes that support work is available even if you don’t know how to sew. If you’re interested in learning more about this ministry, please fill out the form below.