Proyecto de Mujeres - Women's Project 2025

Twenty-five years ago, our nurse practitioner did pelvic exams and pap smears for women in our Salvadoran sister community. She brought glass slides, used hairspray as fixative and somehow got those test results back to the women. She diagnosed many infections. We brought medications for that. It was a bold move for one of our first activities as sister churches together. 

Girls in a remote community learning about their bodies, 2024

Helping women and girls to learn about their bodies, to listen to their bodies, to have agency over their bodies, and to have access to what they need to care for their bodies: this has been a  twenty-five year ministry of our churches working together. Twenty-five years of making steady steps and bold moves together.

In many families, frank talks about sex, reproductive health and menstruation are open and honest. In other families, these conversations include misinformation or don't happen at all. Through the years of doing Missions of Healing together in collaboration with the Salvadoran Lutheran Church, we learned from one another, developed good teaching materials, and created safe spaces for young people to ask honest questions and receive answers to the questions they are too shy to ask. 

Nine years ago, within the context of developing teaching charlas focused on different aspects of women's health for the Mission of Healing, we connected with Days for Girls International and developed a learning session on menstrual health and period care for girls and young women. Over the next several years, we developed a well-functioning, cooperative model for providing year-round menstruation and reproductive health education in combination with distributing the Days for Girls washable menstruation kits.  

The Eau Clarie Wisconsin Chapter for Days for Girls is the hub of operations for sewing on the US side of our partnership. We also receive kit components made by small groups of sewists in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and we have received donations of completed kits from other states and Canada. The Eau Claire chapter also helps support the Proyecto de Mujeres (Women's Project) sewing team in Los Héroes, El Salvador. The Women's Project receives donations of fabric (especially flannel and PUL, which are not readily available in El Salvador), undies, snaps and ribbon from their Milwaukee area partners. 

The small group of women meets 2 or 3 days per week. Yami, the lead seamstress is professionally trained. Yami teaches the new sewists who join the team and ensures every kit meets the gold standard set by Days for Girls. The women earn a small daily stipend, which helps them to support their families. Most of the women who have participated in the project are young mothers. They are able to bring their children to the church, where they can play or nap safely, and the moms are close by to feed them and care for them. As their children have grown, some of the women have used their sewing skills to get full-time jobs in clothing production factories. 

Pastor Sonia is the coordinator of the Los Héroes Women's Project. The Women's Project is a ministry of the church. Under Sonia's guidance, the project has become a good "stepping stone" opportunity for women who can learn, use and improve their sewing skills. The women function as a support group for one another. Last year, Sonia was diagnosed with cancer. Throughout her difficult journey, the team has supported her and the work has kept her going. 

At the end of 2024, we asked four women from the Los Héroes sewing team to write down their thoughts about being part of the Women's Project:

My name is Yesenia. I work in the Days for Girls group. I feel happy for the opportunity to be part of the project in Los Héroes en la Fe (Heroes in the Faith Lutheran Church). We have learned a lot and we get along really well with each other as friends. We have been very blessed. Thank you so much!

My name is Brenda. I worked in the Days for Girls project, and I am very happy because I learned a lot. I liked it because I could have my children here with me. Many thanks and blessings!

My name is Roxana Yamileth (Yami). I have been part of the Days for Girls workshop for 9 years. I am very grateful to God and for the partners for supporting this project. I am able to work here and have been able to care for my children because I brought them here with me and could keep my eyes on them. Many thanks to all the partners, to Linda and Sonia who are the coordinators of this workshop here in El Salvador. May God bless you.

My name is Paula Lorena and I am a member of the Days for Girls sewing workshop. I very much enjoyed working with this group of women who work to create the kits that help many young women and girls. The time that I spend in the worship helped me a lot while I was pregnant. Everything is done with much caring and love. Thanks to everyone who supports this project to complete its objectives.

The Women's Project began their work for 2025 in February. Their first day was spent sorting a delivery of kits and donations from the Wisconsin team. They also received the good news that there have been financial donations to keep them going through April. Each woman will receive a $6 stipend this year, which is a $1 increase from last year. It's small, but as the women say, "every little bit helps." 

Pastor Sonia has already started leading educational workshops in schools and communities. I will share more about that aspect of the 2025 Women's Project in the next story.

If you would like information about how you can support the Los Héroes Proyecto de Mujeres, leave a comment and I will connect with you.