Girl Empowerment & Period Protection: Pad-making Workshop

On 2^nd and 3^rd November 2021, World Vision Singapore conducted a Pad Making Workshop at Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (Secondary) (SCGS), to educate the Secondary 2 girls about what girls in less fortunate circumstances are going through, and teach the students how to sew reusable pads that will be sent to the girls in Nepal.

During the presentation, the students were engaged by the videos shown, and many of them were passionate about wanting to support and help these girls in whatever way they could. During the hands-on portion of the workshop, it was obvious that the SCGS students were extremely focused and determined to get their work done. Although many of them found sewing difficult initially as they were not used to sewing, they persevered and pushed themselves on to keep sewing while encouraging their friends to keep going as well, in order to create a finished product.

One of the students, Hui Jin, said this, “The workshop was extremely enriching and meaningful as it gave me a different perspective of how life is like in other countries. This has made me more aware of the living conditions of the less fortunate and how there is a need to call for a change. This workshop also serves as a constant reminder of the little things that we take for granted in our daily lives. As such, this allows me to be more appreciative of the little things in life. In conclusion, I am extremely honoured to be part of this meaningful change.”

Another student, Shwetha, said this, “I felt that the “Pad Workshop” was a very enriching program as it teaches us and made us more culturally aware that not all the girls around the world are fully aware about menstrual hygiene due to the restrictions imposed by many countries around the world. However, I believe that every girl should know the basics and support their own kind. As such, I am glad to use my free time to stitch these pads as it advocates for a good cause and also teaches me good life skills.”

It was really heartening to see such passionate youths with the hearts to serve the less fortunate as they participated in this exercise. Many other students had similar positive and insightful responses as they were able to recognize the importance of raising awareness about menstrual health and the actions they can take to support girls in need.