We don’t just distribute menstrual health products and education, we also create jobs in the communities where we work. We employ marginalized women to sew the cotton pouches that each bag is distributed in.

Naomi is a 30-year-old young woman who has had to go through the stress of single parenting without any sustainable income. She is a mother of one and expecting another child soon. She suffered a failed marriage to a drunken husband who has shirked his responsibilities as a husband and a father. Naomi lives with her 62-year-old mother in a single room together with 6 younger siblings. She has no permanent job and has to struggle every day to make a living.

She had enrolled on an apprenticeship program to learn sewing but had to abandon it midway because she had no source of income to feed herself. Global Youth Support met Naomi, identified her needs and with support from CouldYou? she has been resourced with a modern electronic sewing machine and materials to sew menstrual cup carrier bags.

She will eventually own the sewing machine and can now make a living in a sustainable manner. Naomi had made several failed attempts over the past 3 years to save money to buy a sewing machine for herself. The delivery of the sewing machine in her own words “… is a dream come true.” Now, Naomi has the opportunity to perfect her trade as a seamstress and make a sustainable living; thanks to Global Youth Support and CouldYou?

The menstrual cups are not only enhancing the lives of its users. It is also empowering young women in rural communities to be active participants in their own development to contribute meaningfully to meeting family needs and to the development of their communities.