Full Story

And it’s run by Sara,
our Affiliate Director in Taxila, Pakistan.

From fear to hope and beyond.

Many NGOs and governments have been working to end violence against women. But one issue remains unaddressed: women’s health and hygiene. When daily survival has always been your top concern, it’s no wonder clean undergarments and sanitary pads never made it onto the list of priorities for poor women … Even though the result can be just as dire.

In 2020, Sara launched the Pakistan Training Center after winning a grant. She started with a class of ten participants and a sewing instructor. The Center teaches local women how to sew bras, underwear, and reusable pads. This is an employable skill that can lead to a job, or the ability to make and sell products in their community, as well as ensuring these items for themselves and their family. They also learn vital information about proper period sanitation and hygiene. In 2021, Sara was able to donate hundreds of menstrual products to Afghan refugees that safely moved to Pakistan.

By learning how to sew their own bras, panties, and reusable pads, the Center’s women create dignity for themselves. And by putting that new skill set to work, they gain access to a pathway out of poverty.

Next up… ? Your support could help decide.
Once women complete their vocational training, the Center’s Affiliate Director helps support what’s next. That could be a job at a nearby factory. It could be starting a business of their own through a micro-loan entity like KIVA, or…

With the support of generous people like you, who knows what the future may hold.