Help a Girl Out (HAGO) Attacks Period Poverty
Poverty can be found in many and varying forms, often in unsuspected places. One such example is Period Poverty which is often unseen, so it goes unaddressed. Access to essential materials such as sanitary pads is a luxury in some parts of the world. Recognizing the need for these necessities as well as education for and about the needs of young women in poverty stricken areas everywhere, a young Jamaican woman, Monique Branford, founded the organization, Help A Girl Out (HAGO) in 2018. helpagirlout.org.
“By the end of the month, we couldn’t afford sanitary pads. We would use paper, cardboard—and a range of other things to meet our needs,” she reported. She goes on: When I got to Canada I realized that this wasn’t tied to geography. It was global—and in Toronto the need was really there. Since then HAGO has delivered thousands of hygiene materials to women and girls across Canada, the Caribbean and a few African countries.
HAGO is founded on three pillars:
- Providing free access to reusable & disposable period products.
- Provide workshops to educate all ages about menstruation, uterine health and anatomy.
- Empower women and girls with year-round anti-stigma campaigns to build self-esteem and eliminate period stigma.
HAGO provides a community for young women who have struggled to afford period products, who’ve been excluded from basic activities and who have faced shame from families and the community. The HAGO team consists of donors, volunteers, packers, sorters, sewers and drivers, all of whom shape the interconnected network of the organization.
A diverse and multi-generational group of individuals make up the HAGO community. Together, they work to dismantle the root causes of period poverty which are shame, stigma, and lack of educational access. Translators help to bridge the language gap and offer accessible programming to individuals from all ethnicities.
HAGO champions No Poverrty, Good Health and Well-Being, Gender Equality and Responsible Consumption and Production.
Volunteers support HAGO’s initiatives to provide access to menstrual products, break the silence on periods and end period poverty. Many and varying opportunities to become involved in the HAGO Organization can be found on their website.
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