Dignity in Displacement: Delivering 1,000 Menstrual Kits to IDP Communities

In the heart of Seba Kare IDP (Internally Displaced Person) Camp, where every day brings uncertainty, 1,000 girls and women now have something many of us take for granted: menstrual dignity.

Studio Samuel’s Menstrual Health Ambassadors—two of our graduates—joined our team on a journey to Tigray, bringing not just 1,000 reusable menstrual kits but also life-changing education. In collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration and part of the United Nations system, we ensured that these critical resources reached the girls and women who need them most.

Studio Samuel MHM Student Ambassadors [middle] alongside staff, unpack menstrual kits to prepare for their first menstrual health presentation in a crisis zone.

We met brave, determined adolescent girls who shared their struggles—some forced to miss school because they lacked period products, others held back by harmful myths that have been passed down for generations.

Imagine waking up every morning in a refugee camp, not for days or weeks, but for four years. Families who once thrived in their communities now live in makeshift rooms, with no clear path forward and no say in what comes next. With no income and limited access to even the most basic necessities, buying menstrual supplies for your daughter simply isn’t an option.

Period poverty is a reality for girls around the world—including in developed nations. But when an adolescent girl in a camp setting receives a reusable menstrual kit that lasts 2-3 years, she gains more than just supplies. She regains a sense of dignity, confidence, and control over her body and her future. And when she has access to menstrual health education, she is empowered to break the silence, challenge stigma, and rewrite the narrative for the next generation.

Empowerment in Action - One Stitch, One Kit, One Girl at a Time

Menstrual kits are made by Studio Samuel students as part of their vocational training program, where they learn sewing as a viable job skill. The picture at right shows three girls at Seba Kare IDP Camp wearing their new menstrual kit totes on their backs - possibly sewn by the student on the left!

Upon arriving in Tigray, Studio Samuel Country Director begins unloading 1,000 menstrual kits which will be delivered to adolescent girls at Seba Kare.

Refugees in their own country

In Tigray, just 5 kilometers from the capital Mekelle, lies Seba Kare (70 Kare) IDP camp—a settlement hosting over 20,000 people displaced by the conflicts in the western and eastern parts of the region. Seba Kare represents both the resilience of its inhabitants and the dire challenges of prolonged displacement. The camp, initially intended as temporary shelter for six months, has now housed many families for over four years. Cramped conditions, insufficient food, limited access to education, and inadequate healthcare services are daily realities for residents. Despite the tireless efforts of humanitarian partners on the ground, the growing needs of the displaced population far exceed the resources available. [UNAIDS, December 2024]

Be Part of the Solution

We’ve seen firsthand how one kit, one conversation, one empowered girl can change everything.

$14 provides one more girl with a menstrual kit that lasts up to 2-3 years!

$280 provides a classroom of 20 girls with kits and an educational session.

Every gift moves us closer to a world where periods don’t hold girls back. 

Join us today - because every girl deserves dignity during her period.

Donate a Menstrual Kit Today