Pads for Days For Girls

Just a small donation this time, as I'm a bit flat out.  But I sent 25 sets of a PUL/Microfleece base with 2 bamboo fleece inserts, to Days for Girls.

Pads for Cambodia

Last week I sent off a package of 50 pads for this group - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=150098938388763.  Thanks to the wonderful fabrics I got donated to me, I was able to make them bamboo velour topped foldup pads - lush!

Pads sent!

The pads are posted!

With the wetbags and packaging it actually cost $143.55 to post, so we have $10 leftover for the next postage.

Here's the customs form and receipt

(I had to post other things the same day, but this one is shown on the top of the receipt)

Postage raised!

Wow, thank you to the people who contributed postage overnight!  We've raised an extra $55 - so we have more than needed to post these pads (assuming I weighed it correctly)

I'll sew up some PUL wetbags to add to the package today, and post it off either today or tomorrow.

Pads ready to post!

I've made 142 pads for Empower Women in Africa, and they are ready to go - I just need help raising money to cover the postage.

They are in 2 sizes.  There are about 12 AIO pads, the rest are about half and half fold-up pads and base+insert pads.  Some of the foldup pads are flannel/flannelette (8 layers when folded), some are heavier ones made with hemp fleece and cotton terry. All fold-up pads have a strip of PUL sewn to the foldup section so that it is waterproofed once folded.  The base+insert pads have a base of PUL topped with microfleece, with 2 hemp/bamboo fleece inserts each pad.

There is just over 4.5kg of pads... which will cost AUD$138.60 to post.  So far in donations I have $85... plus the $13 left over from last donation...  So I need another $40.  You can help out by making a contribution here http://www.obsidianstar.com.au/product/1105 (If we manage to get over the amount needed, it will be saved for the next lot of donations)

I'd also like to thank Bamboo Fabric Store, for sending me a large bag of bamboo fabrics last week, including lovely bamboo velour, terry and fleece!  The bamboo has made lovely inserts for the base+insert pads - LUSH!

Donation project update

So.. I've been making some pads and spreading the word that pads are needed for a conference in Namibia.  So far I have 100 pads sewn up.  More to come.  Most foldup pads (with PUL waterproofing), and some base+help fleece inserts.... with more cut out ready to sew.

(Pad stack)

 

(Microfleece topped, PUL bases, with trifold hemp terry inserts)

(Fold-up pads... jersey topped, with hemp fleece foldup section, with PUL strip)

I've just got a large box of mostly PUL (also some velour, suedecloth, microfleece, snaps and threads!) from Nappies Covered - which was fantastic!  I've also got some fabrics donated from other people which is greatly appreciated too!  I've even got $60 in donations for covering the postage, which is an excellent start - I think I'll need around $120-130, so I will still need some help covering the postage.  You can contribute to the postage here, by "buying" some postage :)

Update... and New Project!

Yes, I know, I don't update this very frequently...

I've been making up a few sets of foldup pads... as I've run low on PUL scraps, but got a lot of hemp fleece and flannelette to use... so I've made the foldup pads with strip of PUL to still provide waterproofed pads, but conserving PUL

Putting them in packs of 5, with instructions for use, and a note.  To pay for postage to get them to Shanti Uganda, I've been "selling" these packs..... people "buy" them, but instead of them receiving anything,  the money to pay to post them to Shanti Uganda.  So they are basically sponsoring the pad set... so in the note I include, I say who the pad set is from, giving the person's name.

I was also contacted by a friend who has moved to Papua New Guinea, who wanted some pads for the ladies there.  So I sent off a package of Base+insert pads.  Not the prettiest - I had orange fabric to use up...

I can't remember how many there were.. 50 I think...

I'd had to stop pad donations, as in Nov or Dec 2010 the US postal service introduced a new fee of $9 for mail sent from Australia to the US (and I'm presuming from other countries too)... supposedly to pay for extra security screening due to terrorist threats... which means a 5 pad set that would normally cost me $10 to post to somewhere like Shanti Uganda, would now cost $19...  quite a price hike... 

So I need to find non-US based organisations to post to.

Today however, I was contacted by  Lori from http://empowerwomeninafrica.com - who needs 225 pads (though more would be great) for a girls conference in Namibia.  I told her of the postage issue, and she's going to organise an address to post direct to Namibia, so that will be brilliant.

I already had 30 pads made up (half foldups half base+inserts) - so that's a start... I'll try to make sure they have their 225 by the June deadline, but I'll need to enlist the help of others!

SHE Innovates

A couple of months ago I contacted SHE to ask if I would be able to donate a portion of my sales (I run a business selling cloth pads) to their project.  Since I love the idea of their organisation, and I would like to support them...   My aim was to donate $1 from the sale of each pad I sold (transferring it over in the $28 lots).

Unfortunately they declined my offer, saying they weren't interested.  I'm really not sure why they refused my offer, I'd have thought every bit they could raise would be a good thing, but apparently my money isn't wanted. Hmmph!