Welcome to Girls2Women Site!      Ethiopian girls miss 3-5 days of school per month – 50 days per school year – frequently causing them to drop out of high school: because they lack adequate supplies related to menstruation.

 A group of committed nursing students from Columbia University’s School of Nursing and their instructor resolved to find a culturally acceptable, sustainable, low-cost solution. Their final design was nine square inches of double-layered, colored cotton material, which after washing, can be hung to dry in the sun.

In the space of one week’s time, Mary Moran, the Columbia instructor, in collaboration with Aberash Abay, the Millennium Cities Initiative Social Sector Coordinator in Mekelle,Ethiopia, showed 206 girls in six Mekelle schools, and 79 Health Extension Workers  how to make and care for their  own pads, which are made from locally available soft cotton. The skill of making their own pads has been well-received by the girls, giving them a greater sense of independence. “This will save my family money,” said one girl after learning how to make her pads. Another said, “I will not feel afraid to go out during menstruation.”