Hundreds Impacted by Local “I AM HER” Donation Drive
MUSKEGON, MI – May 7, 2021 –The 2nd Annual I.A.M.H.E.R. (Influencing Achievement and Maximizing Hope, Excellence, and Resilience) Feminine Hygiene Drive, supporting young ladies from the Abeadeze Kyeakor village in Ghana, Africa in need of everyday essentials and feminine hygiene products, was a great success. The lack of hygiene products has interfered with many participating in their daily lives and activities. Thanks to the generosity of our community members and businesses, hundreds of young ladies and village members received essential items others often take for granted. The community went over and beyond to make a lasting impact during a critical time of need.
More than 10,000 sanitation items were donated, including 5,000 tampons from PERIOD, a youth-fueled nonprofit striving to eradicate period poverty and stigma through service, education, and advocacy (period.org). Donations to support the drive ranged from sanitation items, monetary donations, clothing, books, footwear, computers, and games. A special thank you to Muskegon Heights Public School Academy for their donation of over 2,000 books which will go towards building the Bernie Mayes Library in Ghana, Kaja Thornton and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Camry Burt, CEO of Camifident Cosmetic, Agnes Doe Agbewornu, and everyone who made a contribution. Without your help, this drive would not have been a success.
“What may seem as simple as donating sanitary pads to some village kids is rather a more secure way for us to improve the quality of life and education for them, said Christian Buckman, Executive Director and Spokesperson of the Abeadeze Kyeakor village in Ghana. I have witnessed many young ladies miss days of school due to lack of feminine hygiene products. I’ve seen a young lady walk home from school using a school bag to cover her backside because the cloth she used soaked through her clothing. Just imagine the psychological trauma associated with this experience. Many times I’ve personally paid to get girls treated from infections as a result of using improper hygiene products. Our aim doesn’t end at donations, our aim is to better the lives of our village members by creating opportunities and building our city. Our next project is a community hospital. It is awesome to be able to give our youth hope to face the future with confidence because of kind hearted people like Paul Billings and partners who keep supporting us in bringing our vision to fruition. We are calling on more hands to come onboard to make this vision a reality, he said.”
If you would like to help, donations can be made year-round. For more information on the I.A.M.H.E.R Foundation, part of the Bernice Mayes Academic Improvement Project please call 231-727-5007. Thank you for supporting I.A.M.H.E.R. and providing essentials to those in need.