In recent months, donations made through the Light the World Giving Machine initiative, sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have been making a difference in the lives of girls and women in Nepal through menstrual kits and education.
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Each Christmas season, the Giving Machine initiative provides a unique and memorable way for a worldwide audience to accept the Savior’s invitation to “love thy neighbor” (Matthew 22:39). Menstrual kits, offered by Days for Girls International, are just one of more than 3,000 items featured in the machines worldwide.
“Days for Girls is working to end period poverty globally,” said Tiffany Larson, CEO of Days for Girls International. “Five hundred million women and girls lack access to what they need to take care of their period each month, which is 25% of women [globally].”
“There [are] lots of issues regarding menstruation in Nepal,” said Maya Kahitu, Days for Girls Nepal country director. Kahitu travels across Nepal, teaching classes on menstruation and distributing hygiene kits that include reusable pads.
Many girls in these villages miss school due to a lack of adequate sanitary supplies. Rekha Budha Kshetri and her community in western Nepal were recipients of the donations. “Because of menstruation and the lack of pads, some girls have even stopped going to school,” she said. “But here, thanks to this program, it’s become much easier for girls to attend school. Days for Girls has really helped create a more supportive environment for them.”
“We’re giving girls back their days because girls on average will menstruate for 3,000 days in their lifetime, and if they can’t fully engage in the life that they want to live during that time, that’s a problem because girls are needed in their families, their communities and the world,” said Larson.
In areas of western Nepal, many women and girls still face a harmful practice known as “chhaupadi,” despite laws against it. Under chhaupadi, menstruating women are considered impure and are isolated.
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Rabina sits in a shed that her family designated for her use while she is menstruating. In areas of western Nepal, many women and girls still face the harmful practice of chhaupadi, despite laws against it. Under chhaupadi, menstruating women are considered impure and are sent to isolate in sheds like these. 2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Jayani Ayer lives in a village where the practice is still common. “In our case, depending on the person, some are isolated for 22 days, some for 10 or 12. They are not allowed to enter the house. They force us to stay outside, get food separately, and do not allow us to be touched for six days,” she said.
Karishma started her period the week Kahitu and Days for Girls came to her village. She was able to learn more about the importance of menstruation and have discussions with her family. Together, they decided to stop practicing chhaupadi. “[Days for Girls] came and protected us [through the] Giving Machine,” she said. “We’re so happy.”
Kahitu is witnessing lives changing as she teaches and provides these much-needed resources. She can see that through these donations, “not just only the one girl, [the whole] community, [the] whole nation will change.”
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