dōTERRA Healing Hands Foundation Announces Support of Days for Girls

PLEASANT GROVE, UT—October 21, 2015—It is easy to take feminine hygiene for granted when products are relatively inexpensive and accessible. But in developing countries, feminine products are not only expensive, but typically completely unobtainable for most women. Without available feminine supplies, girls miss school, miss work and go without income, and are homebound for days, every single month.

Days for Girls, an international non-profit organization, helps women and girls discover their potential and self-value by ensuring quality sustainable feminine hygiene, and doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation wants to help. doTERRA announced its support for Days for Girls with a donation of $250,000 at its global convention last month. In addition to the donation, more than 350 doTERRA employees and Wellness Advocates assembled hygiene kits, which will benefit over 1,000 girls and women.

"It is surprising to realize that girls all around the world don't have access to something so basic as feminine hygiene supplies,” states Debbie Young, Utah director for Days for Girls. “This often keeps them from everyday activities, especially school. When a girl is born into poverty and isn't educated, her future can be hopeless. But as she receives a Days for Girls kit, the whole trajectory of her future changes as she is able to go to school, work, and change her own future. Educating girls enables them to lift themselves out of poverty and their future families and communities as well, possibly changing the cycle of poverty in one generation!"

The vision for Days for Girls is profound. The non-profit wants to ensure that every girl and woman in the world has access to quality sustainable hygiene and health education by 2022.​ This is a big goal and the organization will need a lot of help to accomplish it.

"When we learned that young women are using leaves, mattress stuffing, newspaper, corn husks, and other materials for feminine hygiene, we were heartbroken and knew we needed to help," said Emily Wright, executive vice president of sales and marketing at doTERRA. "We are excited to make the hygiene kits and through this small act of service, support these girls in receiving an education and increasing their self-esteem."

Every element in a Days for Girls kit is specially designed with feedback from the girls that use them, and includes items like fabric shields, liners, panties, wash clothes, soap, instructions, and a beautiful drawstring bag that can also be used for school work. The kits are designed to last three years and provide dignity and freedom to girls around the world.

"Days for Girls has changed lives through creating the kits and teaching women’s health to entire communities," said Dave Stirling, doTERRA CEO. "We wholeheartedly support their cause and champion the belief that every girl in the world deserves education, safety, and dignity."