Connie Smith (BN'83) can still vividly recall the moment she discovered that all eight of her Congolese stepdaughters were using old rags as menstrual products. It was her first encounter with period poverty.

It wouldn't be her last.

Having relocated from Canada to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following her marriage to her Congolese husband, Connie quickly learned that the lack of access to sanitary menstrual products was an issue that extended far past her family.

"Many girls here just can't go to school during their periods, but that's a quarter of their school year. How are these girls going to pass if they've missed all that school?"

Connie refused to sweep the issue under the rug and was determined to fight for accessibility to period products. Driven by determination, she and her stepdaughters founded Espoir Goma, an enterprise under  Days for Girls International (DfG). DfG is a non-profit organization advancing menstrual equity, health, dignity, and opportunity through teams and enterprises worldwide.

The organization supports women experiencing period poverty through a framework built on four pillars: Menstrual kit making and distribution, health education, policy and advocacy, and enterprises – like Espoir Goma.

Using this well-established model, Espoir Goma supplies young girls with hand-sewn, reusable menstrual product kits that last up to five years, enabling them to menstruate with dignity and giving them back their 'days.'

The enterprise's name, chosen by one of Connie's stepdaughters, reflects the underlying foundation of the initiative they've created. Espoir, in French, means hope.

The heart of Espoir Goma lies in the dining room of the family's North Kivu home, where an assortment of sewing machines sit on the dining table. Connie and her stepdaughters gather here to sew the kits, piece by piece.

It's not just her family that participates in the work, though. "We've got about 12 people sewing for us now. They just sew in their home, and they do different parts of the kit, and then when they bring them back to us, we pay them by piecework."

Since its establishment in 2020, Espoir Goma has produced and distributed more than 1,500 kits to girls and women.

Connie says that bringing in several sewers has helped them reach more girls and women with their kits, consisting of eight liners, two shields, and a leak-resistant bag.

Since its establishment in 2020, Espoir Goma has produced and distributed more than 1,500 kits to girls and women. The team also prioritizes young girls in their community by visiting local schools to hand out kits and educate them about menstrual health.

"On menstrual hygiene day, May 28, we distributed 30 kits to the local high school here, where some of our grandkids go. It's not enough to just have the right supplies for your period, but you've got to know what's happening with your body too."

Connie says that the DRC's need for menstrual products stems from the many internally displaced people within the country. Its record-high displacement rate is caused by escalating violence against civilians, with over five million displaced individuals.

Despite the long-lasting humanitarian crises in many African countries, Connie's heart was drawn to Africa long before she called it home. She says she fell in love with the continent over the summer of 1979, a few months before attending UNB.

"I went to Zambia for the summer because I had been interested in overseas missions for quite a while. I came back after those four months, and, my poor roommates, all they would hear about was Africa. I really did fall in love with this place, and when I had returned, I went into nursing at UNB because I thought — yeah, that's where I want to be, overseas."

After graduating from UNB's nursing program in 1983, Connie wasted no time returning to Africa, where she completed several missions before settling in the DRC and sparking her passion for menstrual equity.

While she didn't start tackling the issue until after she'd left New Brunswick, many volunteers within the province are also combatting the menstrual injustices happening around the world. 

Among them is Liz Richard, an influential period poverty advocate and a close contact of Connie's.

Liz leads the New Brunswick Days for Girls Team, a province-wide group of 30 who meet twice a month to sew DfG menstrual kits identical to those at Espoir Goma. These kits are then distributed within the province or shipped overseas to girls and women in need of period products.

"Once we pack the kits, we know that the next person to open them will be a girl or woman who is going to be thrilled to have something that lets her stay in school or go to work or provide for her family. It's more than just providing them with the product, too; it's providing them with dignity and confidence."

This spring, Liz's team partnered with UNB's Menstrual Health Society to distribute their reusable menstrual kits to students at the Harriet Irving Library on the Fredericton campus.

Liz says that the kits were well received among the students and that their partnership with the menstrual health society, as well as the connection that they have formed with Connie, has been a growing step for their team.

As Connie continues to tackle period poverty overseas, she finds purpose in the impact that Espoir Goma has already made. Inspired by her stepdaughters and supported by volunteers like Liz, they push forward together in the global fight towards menstrual equity.

Connie's next hope is to enlist the help of fellow Canadian women to support their Congolese sisters who are faced with period poverty. Her initiative, 'A Loonie per Moon,' encourages Canadian women to put a loonie in a jar every time they get a period. 

"We can get these products into the hands of the people who need them, and we can help them understand what's happening with their bodies.”