Meet Juliet: A Young Zambian Woman Empowered by Veeda Donations to World Vision

Compassionately empowering and helping women in need is at the core of our heartfelt mission through Project Every Woman at The Veeda Foundation. For this year’s International Women's Day on March 8th we’re sharing a touching story of a young woman in Zambia who became empowered as a result of our global charitable efforts through our partnership with World Vision. A faith-based humanitarian global organization, World Vision helps families, children and impoverished communities in need, and Veeda is proud to support their impactful mission.

Juliet’s Story

Veeda donated 75,000 natural, hypoallergenic cotton menstrual pads to women in Ethiopia through WomanKind and needy women in Zambia, Africa through World Vision. Veeda is proud to make an impact in the lives of thousands of poverty-stricken women. One such woman’s story is truly awe-inspiring and powerful. Juliet, a young woman who lives in Zambia, and her three sisters found themselves hopeless when their only source of income, their Mother, died.

“My Mother was my everything. She was always there for us and provided for my siblings whenever she could. But after her demise, my heart was broken, and I had lost hope because I did not know where I was going to start from,” Juliet says.

Juliet and her siblings moved in with their Grandmother. Though, Juliet’s dreams to go to school and become a nurse appeared dashed because education beyond primary school (grades 1-7) costs money in her country. Unable to afford her ninth-grade education because of fees, she dropped out of school and began working to support her family. Just when she’d thought about giving up on her educational goals, she found out about World Vision, and that they were registering vulnerable children they could sponsor.

Veeda Donations Made A Big Impact

With the help of World Vision, Juliet was able to attend a Safe House which supported her with food, shelter, and education. One necessity that was lacking though were menstrual products. Juliet and the other young women were using unsanitary rags and clothes during their periods which often led to infections. Because of the Veeda donations to World Vision, Juliet and other young girls like her were able to receive Veeda natural cotton menstrual pads made from non-GMO cotton and clean ingredients.

“We lacked sanitary towels, and it was not every month that the matron would provide because times were hard. Instead, we would use cloths to protect ourselves, which was not safe for use because we would get infections.”

Period poverty is a real issue globally, as an approximate 1.2 billion women worldwide can’t financially afford basic sanitary hygiene. Only 12 percent of women in India can afford menstrual hygiene products. Meanwhile, 50 percent of Kenya women don’t have access to sanitary pads. Two-thirds of poor U.S. women go without feminine hygiene products because they can’t afford them. Additionally, one in ten girls in the UK can’t afford menstrual hygiene products.

Juliet, one of the 1.2 billion women who can’t afford menstrual pads and tampons, expressed her gratitude for the menstrual hygiene pads donated by Veeda.

“I am very grateful for the hygiene packs because I know they will take us a long way, and we will no longer be using the cloths to protect ourselves.”

Juliet no longer has to focus on working for income as a child, rather she can re-focus on her education and enjoy a better life. Through the Safe House, World Vision and Veeda, Juliet and the thousands of other women who benefitted from the Veeda donation, no longer have to worry about basic necessities and unsanitary menstrual conditions.