Howdy,
This week I met someone who inspired me - I present to you Irina. She founded the Pe Stop Association in 2018. Together with two associates and thirty volunteers, she now distributes monthly packages of menstrual hygiene products to 350 vulnerable girls and women in Bucharest. Pe Stop also organizes menstrual hygiene courses, so that girls and women from various areas of the country can learn about their bodies, menstruation and how to take care of themselves.
The conversation with her was very easy because she has an open soul and is modest. We felt that we were connected to the same values - helping our fellow man and fighting taboos 😊
Irina didn't ask anyone for permission to follow her dream and make a positive impact every day! I think it really improves a lot of lives. So ladies, we don't need to go to the moon to shine! Let us know in the comments what small steps with big impact you are taking.
My first question – how did it all start?
It started in 2018, when I used part of my savings to fill a backpack with absorbent pads that I distributed to some homeless women in Bucharest. In 2019 I won a scholarship in the USA, where I learned about community organizing, which gave me the courage to quit my permanent job and dedicate all my time to growing Pe Stop and turning the initiative into a sustainable project .
Were the women happy?
Oh yeah, those who received the hygiene packs loved them. Some of them gave me their phone number so I could call them before we came so they could get more people!
And then?
Pe Stop was the first organization to open the topic of menstrual poverty in Romania, and our community grew vertiginously in a few months - it was amazing. We received many donations that allowed us to support more and more people .
What are you dreaming about now?
Hmm… dreams have no limits, do they? So my dream is to end menstrual poverty. For that, we need to reach as many towns and villages as possible, to have regular funding and partnerships so that we don't have to wonder every month if we will have something to take to the ladies the following month as well. We receive monthly donations from individuals (to whom we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!) and use them to grow, run classes, spread our message and administratively support the project. If we do not receive donations in kind, we also have to buy the products with this money.
What is the situation of menstrual poverty in Romania?
According to our calculations, approximately 1 million girls and women of reproductive age in Romania are affected by menstrual poverty – that is, they do not have adequate access to the products and/or information they need to manage their periods safely and with dignity. That means more than 5% of the entire population of the country!
How can we help?
- Any donation is important: you can access https://www.doneaza.pestop.org/
- Volunteering: anyone who wants to donate their time and energy can write to us at alo@pestop.org
- Product donation: You can leave products at our headquarters in Str. Cluj 35, Bucharest. Please let us know before you come. We accept absorbent pads, hand sanitizer gel, intimate wipes. Unfortunately, we do not use internal pads, reusable absorbents or menstrual panties because it requires running water and care conditions that many of our beneficiaries do not have.
Have a wonderful day and don't forget that there is a treasure hidden inside each of us 😊
See you soon, Anouk, co-founder of Libréa
#Libréagurl
