Giving Girls Dignity Nigeria

I am a member of Rotary International. Rotary club members work to improve life for some of the world’s vulnerable populations. Rotary’s global grants support these efforts in communities worldwide. The grants must be sustainable, meaning they provide long-term solutions that community members themselves can support after grant funding ends.

To apply for a global grant, two or more Rotary clubs or districts must work together, at least one near the community implementing the project and an international sponsor located outside the host sponsor’s country. 

As a member of Big Ocean Women (BOW), I attended the Conference on the Status of Women (CSW) in 2017 where I met Dr. Ugochi Ohajuruka and learned about her Non-Government Organization (NGO) called HAFAI (Health Aid For All Initiative). I quickly realized the potential of our groups working together.  The Rotary Club of Spanish Fork partnered with The Rotary Club of APO Abuja, Nigeria. With the matching funds, we were able to provide $51,000 for the Giving Girls Dignity Nigeria project which HAFAI is helping to administer.

The Giving Girls Dignity Nigeria project:

1.  Creates support for menstrual hygiene management (MHM) in 3 communities, 5 schools, and 2 IDP camps (Internally Displaced Persons Camps) dispelling myths, taboos, and stigma around menstruation.

2.  Empowers women and girls with MHM materials, and provides education to teachers, mothers and girls in these communities, schools and IDP camps.

3.  Creates businesses for 45 women from the 3 communities and 40 women from the 2 IDP camps by providing them with 58 sewing machines and 85 “Enterprises Starter Packs,” which helps them produce MHM kits for women and girls.

Rotary Clubs from Spanish Fork, Vernal, Springville, and Park City, along with Big Ocean Women, all gave substantial donations. When my college-age youngest son learned about the Global Grant, he promptly gave $1000 from his savings to the project. When Dr. Ugo found out about his donation, she was very touched.