About Freedom Kits
Our Organization
All over the world in developing countries girls and women sit in their room, sit on cardboard, sit on a pile of sand, or sit over a hole in the ground five days of every month. Some resort to rolling “tampons” from old newspapers, putting rocks or other items inside themselves, or tying plastic grocery bags around themselves filled with rags just so they can attend school or work. This leads to infections and disease and can even result in infertility. Girls and women miss school, they miss work, they miss life simply because they have nothing with which to manage their periods. But there is a solution. This is NOT an unsolvable problem. We're not talking about preventing climate change or achieving world peace. It's just a period. We have a simple, affordable solution to offer. Volunteers at Freedom Kits of Yakima create and donate high-quality, long-lasting, washable, reusable feminine hygiene kits. There is no waste and they are given to the girls and women for free.
Why are we here?
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Our group of volunteers began working together in 2015, and have made and donated over 25,000 kits in that time. Countries where our kits have gone include Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Mexico, Guatemala, Haiti, Samoa, Nepal, Kenya, Romania, Ukraine, Syria, Mali, Zambia, Cameroon, El Salvador, Peru, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the United States, and more. We re-organized our group in February, 2022, to become a separate legal charity which gives us more flexibility in who, how, and where we serve.
History
Our volunteers do all the sewing and other work to produce the kits here in Yakima. We receive most of our materials as “donations-in-kind”, and also receive some donated funds which we use to purchase the additional items that we need for the kits. We donate, free of charge, our completed kits to other charities or organizations that are traveling to these countries or areas of need for mission work which includes medical missions, supporting schools and orphanages, helping villages with water and other infrastructure, etc. The kits are distributed by these volunteers directly to women and girls free of charge.
How We Operate
What's in a kit?
Two “guards” that snap around the underwear and contain a waterproof layer. Two pairs of underwear. Seven “regular” pads and three “light” pads, made of flannel, that fit in the guard and can be swapped out during the day. A waterproof pouch in which to place soiled pads during the day. A bar of soap and a washcloth. An instruction card showing visually how the kit is to be used and cared for. All in a drawstring bag that can also be used as a backpack or school bag. Everything is designed so that it can be hand washed and will dry overnight to be ready for the next day.
Our Mission
Our mission is to open doors of opportunity for women and girls around the world by producing and donating washable/reusable feminine hygiene kits that will enable women and girls to stay in school and pursue education and career goals while managing their periods with dignity and independence. The women’s hygiene kits and other humanitarian aid items that we produce are donated free of charge to women and girls in developing countries and impoverished areas where the cost of disposable feminine hygiene items makes them inaccessible to the poor and thus severely limits education and work opportunities for women and girls.