DETROIT (WXYZ) — We’re shining a light on Cass Tech and the young students who are helping kids in West Africa.
RELATED: Detroit minister empowers Ghanaian women to make feminine products amid shortage of hygiene supplies
Cloth is being cut and piled on a table in Cass Tech by these young students.
Her diligent work is helping girls in faraway worlds.
“They’re basically washable sanitary pads, so the girls at Cass Tech are helping us out by cutting up fabric that I’ll be taking to Ghana,” says Dr. Adrienne Johnson.
Women in Ghana will use this material to make reusable sanitary pads. Dr. Adrienne Johnson and her husband started the Woh Yeh Bra program in Ghana.
A young woman in America says that she is menstruating. That’s what the woh yeh bra means in Ghana, they’re on their woh yeh bra,” says Johnson.
Earlier the girls of the village would have been ashamed, some would have committed suicide. Many people are forced to use newspaper or twigs instead of sanitary napkins.
Now these girls from Detroit are learning what a difference their work can make.
“We’re affecting the entire northern continent of girls in America,” says Lubana Butem, a 10th grade student. “I think it’s really powerful to see so many young women who are so excited to help and do a service project. I was really saddened to hear about the suicide, so I’m glad this small act can help them.” can really make a big difference.
The girl says girls in her home country of Bangladesh suffer in a similar way.
“I think I was really attracted to it because it’s really important to help people who are less fortunate and I felt really bad for those girls.”
It is also an empowerment program for women in West Africa. They are given sewing machines and trained to sell these sanitary pads. And these girls are helping to change lives.
“They’re excited to help,” says Cass Tech principal Lisa Phillips. “He didn’t even hesitate when he said we were in.”
This service project, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Detroit, will create 200 reusable sanitary napkins that will last more than a year. More importantly, this act of kindness is teaching the impact of giving back to girls here at home and abroad.
These CAS Tech students will soon meet the girls to whom they are providing pads via Zoom.
