King’s Volunteering runs campaigns throughout the year for students and staff to increase their awareness and understanding of various issues and causes as well as empowering them to take action.
Read on to find details of our current campaign.
Let's talk about periods.
This year, King’s Volunteering are partnering with The Pachamama Project, a charity who is working to build a network of volunteers to make reusable sanitary pads for those in need.
Defined by the lack of access to hygiene facilities, menstrual products and education, Period Poverty affects millions of women, girls and people who menstruate despite being a basic human right.
Rooted in socio-environmental inequalities and impacting communities already disadvantaged by other factors, the psychological and health effects of Period Poverty is well-documented. Charities like the Binti Period, The Pachama Project and Bloody Good Period are working to tackle these issues in a range of ways, with all in agreement that they shouldn’t have to exist and that these gendered experiences require policy change and urgent action from governing bodies.
Take action.
Make sustainable sanitary pads for refugees experiencing period poverty
King’s Volunteering are partnering with The Pachamama Project to mobilise a network of students and staff at King’s to create reusable sanitary pads (“Pacha Pads”) to gift to refugees across the world who are experiencing period poverty.
If you have a sewing machine, you can contribute to the Pachamama Project by creating Pacha Pads at home and donating them at our Donation Stations across King’s campuses (see locations below).
If you do not have access to a sewing machine but you would still like to contribute to the project, you can create the fabric bags that the Pacha Pads are gifted to their recipients in. Whilst you can make these using a sewing machine, you can also hand sew these bags instead.
If you are a total beginner, why not come along to our workshop later this semester where we will have people on hand to teach you how to make a Pacha Pad bag (details below).
Make a Pacha Pad:
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Follow the ‘How to create a Pacha Pad’ instructions* and templates to make your Pacha Pad. If you are viewing this page on a laptop/computer, you will find these at the top right of the page and if you are using a phone, you will find these at the bottom of the page. You can make as many or as few Pacha Pads as you like!
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For the material, you'll need 1 piece of "pretty" cotton fabric and one piece of thick anti-pli fleece. You will also need a strip of thick towelling and a strip of thick fleece to go inside - details can be found in the instructions. We encourage you to reuse material that would otherwise go to waste.
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Drop your Pacha Pads off at one of our Donation Stations across King’s campuses by January 31st. You can find the locations of our Donation stations below.
* Please note that you do not need to add a Kam Snap to your Pacha Pad before donating if you do not already have a Kam Snap tool. King’s Volunteering will add Kam Snaps to any Pacha Pads that are donated without them.
Make a Pacha Pad Bag:
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Create a drawstring bag: If you already know how to make a drawstring bag and have your own method, you can make it your way or you can follow this YouTube tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jylJvQMKRLI - If you do not have access to a sewing machine, you can still follow the above tutorial but hand sew it instead.*
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Drop your Pacha Pads off at one of our Donation Stations across King’s campuses by January 31st. You can find the locations of our Donation stations below.
* Please note that the minimum size for a Pacha Pad bag should be 26cm x 28cm finished but they can bigger if you have larger scraps that you would like to use. The Pachamama Project presents the Pacha Pads as a gift, rather than something to be embarrassed about, so please use pretty material to make them.
Donating your Pacha Pads and Pacha Pad Bags:
Once you have created your Pacha Pads and/or Pacha Pad bags, please drop them off at one of King’s Volunteering’s Donation Stations located across King’s campuses.
The deadline for dropping off your donations is January 31st.
You can find our Donation Stations at any of the below locations:
Strand Campus:
Bush House Arcade - south entrance, ground floor
Melbourne House - ground floor reception
Guy's Campus:
Guy's West Wing - KCLSU Hub Desk (opposite Guy's Cafe/The Shed)
Waterloo Campus:
Franklin Wilkins Building - KCLSU Hub Desk, first floor
Denmark Hill Campus:
IoPPN - KCLSU Hub Desk
Why support this project?
No matter how much or how little you contribute to our Pacha Pad campaign, you are joining a global network of volunteers who make reusable sanitary pads for refugees around the world experiencing period poverty.
By creating and donating a Pacha Pad or a Pacha Pad Bag, you are supporting the Pachamama Project’s mission to combat period poverty in refugee crises and make sure having a period is not yet another challenge for these people.
Find out more about The Pachamama Project, including the people they support on their website.
If you have any questions about this campaign, please email volunteer@kcl.ac.uk