Tomorrow we are sending a Sewing Center to Ghana. For the last several weeks we have enlisted the help of 100s of men, women and girls to help us prepare everything needed to start making feminine hygiene kits for the girls of Ghana in Ghana. Tomorrow 16 people with lots of bags will get on a plane with everything needed to set up a Days for Girls Sewing Center in Accra.
Today at my quilt group, as I told my friends of the many miracles that have taken place just in the last week that have led to this, we all sat in awe at the thought of it. We have found sources for the Polyurethane waterproof lining for the shields (after searching for months). We’ve found a wholesale source for cotton and flannel that is affordable. We’ve had a washer and dryer and a serger donated this week. We doubled our goal of sending parts and pieces for 1000 kits to Ghana–we will send 2000. We’ve involved 100s of women who send their love to girls they’ll never see or know.
There is a word that plays in my mind as consider my involvement with this project: It has UNFOLDED. As I look back, considering all that has happened in the last 8 months, since our first kits were made and delivered, I am absolutely amazed at what has happened here. The process has unfolded before us as we made choices to serve. We had no idea in the beginning where this would take us. We just wanted to help. Now we are running a full-time non-profit organization. Every day is filled with emails, phone calls, computer work, cutting and tracing fabric, distributing fabric, gathering donations and cut pieces, and cheering on our helpers. Yesterday alone I received 7 emails and phone calls requesting help hosting an event. We have helped with more than 70 events already this year. We are refining the process and learning the best ways to involve anyone who is interested.
As all of this has unfolded, we marvel at what is happening. Sometimes I think it’s a good thing that we have trial and error and figuring out and searching. It helps us to appreciate and understand the process. We know every step we had to take to get where we are now. If we always knew the end from the beginning, we might not ever start. It might overwhelm us. Sometimes we just have to trust, and take the next step.
Tomorrow that step will be in Ghana. I’m so pleased I probably won’t sleep much tonight.
Here is a local Ghanaian TV Broadcast about the work we have started. This is only the beginning.
