Despite the fact that half of the world’s population menstruates, nearly two out of five of those people struggle yearly with purchasing any type of menstrual products. That is only in the U.S. Globally, 500 million people a year lack access to basic menstrual necessities that should be provided.

There are many organizations that are actively trying to combat period poverty around the world, many with success. Here at Silver Creek High School, there are two underclassmen who are taking on quite a momentous task and doing their part in eradicating period poverty for the community.

For The Girls, a former senior capstone project at Silver Creek, has gotten another chance to thrive in the Creek community. Last year, it was run by Alexa Gorr. This year, sophomore Silver Creek Leadership Academy students Muskan Dhillon and Rachel Dowlin have taken on the For the Girls capstone project and continue to host donations and educate students about period poverty.

At Silver Creek, For the Girls (FTG) mostly takes the form of donation drives where the community can donate menstrual products, bras, underwear, or money to help support women in our community, while also advocating for menstrual health.

Dhillon first wanted to take on FTG because of her previous interest in the project, “I had donated a lot to it in the previous years so I decided it would be something cool to take on,” Dhillon says. “As I was telling Rachel about it, she found it really interesting too.”

The two’s biggest goal for the school year is to gather more donations than last year and they are already starting off strong! Although there have been some scheduling conflicts, Dhillon and Dowlin have been greatly supported by SCLA and the Silver Creek Community.

Kaelyn Vargo, a Silver Creek English teacher, is the mentor to these two girls. Vargo has worked with For the Girls as a capstone project in previous years but never with Sophomores before. As a mentor, Vargo connects students with necessary resources, stores all the donations that have been collected, as well as is the treasurer of any money that has been donated.

“The two students who are running it- Muskan and Rachel- have a really strong drive and enthusiasm.” Vargo says, “They have started off the year really strong with already a large collection drive.”

Dhillon and Dowlin, best friends, and very ambitious sophomores, want to try and make a change in their community. Not only are they taking on the challenge of de-stigmatizing the topic of menstrual cycles, but they are also taking on the work that typically seniors in SCLA are given an entire class period and school year to do.

“Probably the biggest struggle is that there’s not that time and space to get the work done, so this is purely just on their own time. ” Vargo says, “I think that it’s really commendable for them to get the work done, even if it’s not required of them.”

Another challenge that Dhillon and Dowlin have faced is de-stigmatizing periods and educating others on the topic of menstruation.

“Some people aren’t really comfortable talking about it, because some people are embarrassed based on past experiences,” says Dowlin.

Even though periods are typically an “uncomfortable” topic to discuss, it’s important to educate everyone because it helps to normalize this already normal bodily function. It’s especially important to discuss period poverty because half of the population experiences menstruation and yet have no access to necessary supplies.

“Period poverty in the United States is a topic that is not talked about a lot but it exists everyday for people who menstruate,” says Vargo.

Through their hard work and dedication, Dhillon and Dowlin have already raised some money and gathered quite a few donations and plan to host many more drives in the future! With these donations, they are given the opportunity to make a difference within their community and really make a big impact!

Their next big donation drive will be at the Ugly Sweater Fun Run on December 2nd! Bring pads, tampons, bras, or new period underwear. For more information, follow @forthegirls.schs on Instagram.