Sylvia's Sisters

End Period Poverty

Celebrating 10 Years: Our Beginnings

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It was in 2013 when Sylvia Namukasa, an activist in rural Uganda, requested reusable pads from her friend, Jennifer Taylor, in Richmond, Virginia, in order to keep local girls in school while menstruating. In 2014, Sylvia’s Sisters was officially born.

The end of 2024 marked our 10th year of operating as a 501(c)(3) fighting period poverty in Virginia and Uganda.

As we’ve pondered our successes in 2024, it has been wonderful to see how far we’ve come since our beginnings, and how many lives we’ve changed…

The very first delivery of reusable pads sent to Uganda in 2013.
Rural Ugandan women receiving their reusable pads.
A sample of the original reusable pads sewn by Sylvia’s Sisters.
In 2017, we began supplying Ugandan menstruators with purchased AFRIpad kits. Here, founder Jennifer Taylor passes out the kits with namesake Sylvia Namukasa behind her in the pink.
AFRIpad kits are always accompanied by a menstrual health educational class, taught by Sylvia.
Our Virginia mission began through Communities in Schools (CIS). Here, volunteer Corinna Anderson delivers 3-months worth of products to CIS Richmond to help students through the summer.
Founder Jennifer Taylor delivers U by Kotex pads to CIS Petersburg
In 2017, we hosted a “drive-thru” period product pick up for school nurses and CIS reps.
In 2020, we expanded our mission beyond schools in order to help community organizations provide period products to the people they served. Here, founder Jennifer Taylor delivers products to Mutual Aid Disaster Relief.
We began participating in community resource fairs in 2021. Here, we’re passing out period products at the Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center resource fair.

Here we are, 10 years later, and our growth is staggering.

A small sampling of the many Sylvia’s Sisters distributions and resource fairs in 2024!

All thanks to the friendship and determination of two women.

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