Every morning, 84-year-old Eva Mitch is at work. Eva dedicates countless hours to sewing reusable pads for girls she has never met. The girls who use her pads live 11,500 kilometers away in Kenya and Somalia. With over 3,500 hours behind the sewing machine, Eva has sewn more than 20,000 bandages, thus ensuring that schoolgirls can face everyday life with security and confidence. The beginning of the sewing project It all started four and a half years ago when Eva and her friends were at their weekly Monday meeting at Café Nordvest in Hammerfest. Eva is well acquainted with Veronika Holmgren, who is responsible for the café. Veronika showed the ladies a knitted bandage and asked. – What is this? – Those were the types of pads we used in the old days, answered 84-year-old Eva Mitch. All the ladies gathered in the cafe knew what it was. It was Veronika Holmgren who got Eva to sew pads. Photo: Bethel Britto / news Veronika told the ladies that girls in Kenya who don’t have money to buy pads don’t go to school when they have their period either. This struck Eva, and reminded her of her mother who was keen for the girls in the family to get an education. Therefore, she decided to sew as many bandages as possible. Now she is part of a larger project. The brain behind the project The Norwegian-Somali nurse and women’s activist Safia Abdi Haase started this project in 2015, after a visit to Kenya. On the visit, she saw that the Red Cross in Kenya was running a similar project. Safia says that she has personally experienced what it feels like to be poor and not have access to pads. Therefore, it was extra important for her to contribute to the project. Safia Abdi Haase takes care of bringing the volumes from Norway to Africa. Photo: Plan International Got napkins from all over the country Veronika Holmgren was inspired by Safia when she saw her knitting napkins at a Women’s Day event in Hammerfest. Shortly afterwards, Veronika wrote a post on Facebook about Safia’s work. – I tagged Safia in the post and asked if anyone could help her, says Veronika. Then they were sent knitted bandages from all over the country. Reusable napkins are good for the environment, says Safia Adbi Haase. Photo: Bethel Britto / news – There were several high schools that knitted bandages in the elective classes, and those who could not knit sent us knickers that the girls could use, says Veronika. Less absenteeism from school Safia says that there are three good reasons for making reusable pads for the girls: It gives them the opportunity to go to school when they have their periods. It prevents women in poverty from using unnatural materials during menstruation. It is better for the environment. Because especially in African countries, where there are no waste systems, most sanitary napkins containing plastic are thrown into nature. At Eva, you can find pads everywhere. Also in the pillow case out on the terrace. Photo: Bethel Britto / news Safia says that the results from the project are clear. – The girls are no longer afraid to come to school when they have their periods. And therefore we have observed less absenteeism, says Safia. In addition, Eva has sent the recipe for the pads, so that more women in Kenya and Somalia can sew them themselves. Eva has no plans to stop the hobby. Photo: Bethel Britto / news – Everyone can make a difference Eva regularly receives fabric and thread from the residents of Hammerfest, and for now she has no plans to stop the sewing project. – Everyone can make a difference, whether big or small. For me, it’s perfectly fine to spend three to four hours every morning on this project, says Eva. Published 13.07.2024, at 20.53
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Eva Mitch sews bandages to keep African girls in school – news Troms and Finnmark
