Project Patricia is one of our partner ministries at WWV. This unique ministry sews cloth, reusable maxi pads and sends them with missionaries to be distributed to women and girls around the world. Their mission is to bring glory to God through service to women in third world countries by meeting a physical need as an avenue to demonstrate Christ’s love. We discovered this ministry several years ago when our medical teams first started working in Williamson and Luly.
While seeing patients in the WWV mobile medical clinics, our physicians noticed an unexpected need in the area of women’s health and hygiene. Upon returning from this trip, one of our team members put us in touch with The Master’s Community Church in Kansas City who coordinates Project Patricia.
A unique ministry like Project Patricia often receives many questions. Here’s what they have to say about why they feel passionate about serving women in this way:
“Having adequate period protection is something that American women rarely have to think about. We recognize that many girls in less fortunate countries have nothing to use during that time of the month. Girls may miss school or use unsanitary methods to manage their menstrual cycle. We find it tragic that something that God created to be beautiful, could be so hopelessly embarrassing for some.
Why not send disposables? Disposables are a temporary solution for an endless need. They are for one-time use only, and then they need to be disposed of in an area with no room for landfills. Also, burning disposable products releases chemicals and toxins into the air.
How do maxi-pads spread the gospel? Meeting a woman’s physical needs opens a door to meet her spiritual needs. Distributing kits of cloth pads also provides a platform to teach women about personal hygiene and God’s plan for sexual purity.”
The Haitian women in our mobile medical clinics have loved receiving this useful gift over the past few years. Thank you Project Patricia for partnering with us to improve health and share the gospel in Haiti!
Most recently, young ladies who work in the WWV sewing center who have been blessed in receiving the cloth maxi pads have started sewing their own to use and sell at the market! Not only are these maxi pads meeting the needs of the women in the rural villages, they are now creating a sustainable business, too!