Short Summary

I'm Lorne Mallin, a retired Canadian journalist in Vancouver, BC. In 2009-10 I lived in Uganda, volunteering with the Abayudaya community in the eastern Mbale district. I was very moved by the importance of education in helping lift Ugandans out of poverty.

Since returning home I've organized projects to support Ugandan orphans' education, generate income for women, and supply menstruating schoolgirls with AFRIpads – washable, reusable sanitary pad kits. Funding for the kits has run out after three years so I've turned to crowdfunding to keep the girls supplied.

It may be hard to imagine a girl being so poor she can't afford to buy menstrual products. But that's the case in Uganda and throughout the developing world. Girls routinely miss four or five days a month of school, staying at home using strips of paper or old rags.  

Girls of Semei Kakungulu High School with their AFRIpads.

What We Need

We have arranged to buy the cotton-nylon AFRIpad kits at a special price. The girls are being asked to pay about 90 cents towards their kits. Every contribution of $2 will help buy a kit for a girl. $10 helps buy five kits. $20 for 10 kits, and so on; the more the better. Produced in women's collectives in western Uganda, the kits are said to last up to a year. But our survey of the girls of Hadassah Primary School and Semei Kakungulu High School shows they last six to eight months; so they may need a second kit during the year. And the poorest of the poor will need help to buy soap for cleaning their pads.

Naume Sabano

I am partnered with my good friend Naume Sabano, chair of the Abayudaya Women's Association in Nabugoye Hill, the rural village where I lived. We want to raise $1,000 for 250 girls for 2014. All of the money will go directly from me to Naume, with the only administrative cost being the fee for wiring the money. We've used this process for more than three years with no problems.

If we don't raise $1,000, I will send the lesser amount to Naume and she will buy as many kits as possible. If we receive more, we can hold some in reserve for 2015 kits. With great success, we can help more orphans go to school.

AFRIpad kit with holder, three pads with wings and two without.

The Impact

Your contribution will help Ugandan schoolgirls go to school every day and have a complete education. You will also be helping the women who produce the AFRIpads have an income to support their families.

Until now we have been able to supply the girls with AFRIpads with help from donors in Canada and the U.S., particularly from P'nai Or of Portland synagogue in Oregon, championed by Joanie Levine and Yehudah Winter. The inspiration for this project came from Dvora Rotenberg, of the Canadian Friends of Pearl Children charity. We need you to step in now and help the girls. Every $2 helps.

As for my track record, I've been successful in supporting orphans' education with proceeds from monthly potluck dinners, and evenings called Chanting & Chocolate. I've also sold hundreds of beautiful paperbead necklaces created by the Abayudaya women and sent them all the money. Here is a Kulanu article about my AFRIpads work.

Lorne Mallin selling Abayudaya jewelry.

Other Ways You Can Help

If you can't contribute, please get the word out and make some noise about our campaign. You can use the Indiegogo share tools!