Moon Sick Care Bags: The Power of Partnerships!

Image: Our first school group in March 2019 – Firbank Grammar School!

As women we should never underestimate the power of our relationships. Late last year, I had a brief conversation with Laurie Pritchard, Managing Director (and self-professed Disco Queen) at Small World Journeys, about the possibility of working together on the Moon Sick Care Bag project.

This wonderful organisation provides educational tours in the tropics for school groups from Australia and overseas. As part of the educational tour, students are invited to participate in a community service project. The opportunity to learn about Moon Sick Care Bags, and sew some of the items they include, is now one of those projects.

To date, Empowering Women Empowering Communities (EWEC) has taught five school groups how to make the Moon Pads (washable sanitary pads) that form part of the Moon Sick Care Bag. These bags are then gifted to women and adolescent girls living in deep remote Aboriginal communities.

The students have used templates to trace patterns onto fabric, cut out material, pin, sew and stud, completing 82 pads and almost finishing more than 100. These incredible students have also donated pairs of underwear and bars of soap, which are included in each of the Moon Sick Care Bags.

As I speak to the students and introduce the project, I can see from their faces that many of them are shocked and saddened to learn about the challenges facing women and girls living in these remote communities. Their willingness to embrace the project and make a practical contribution is heart-warming.

On behalf of the Aboriginal women and girls that will receive a bag in the very near future, we would like to thank students from:

• Firbank Grammar School (Victoria)
• Fort Street High School (New South Wales)
• Santa Sabina College (New South Wales)
• St Margaret’s School (Victoria)
• Newman State High School (remote Western Australia)

The Moon Sick Care Bag project would also like to thank the trainers from Empowering Women Empowering Communities, Yvonne Sinclair and Annie Peacock, for giving so much of their time.

If you are interested in making Moon Pads or Moon Sick Care Bags, and/or donating to this project, please contact Yolonde Entsch at admin@ewec.com.au