Our partnership started in September of 2022, when Pakistan was facing unprecedented floods. The floods caused destruction across the nation; submerging villages, killing livestock, crops, and causing “nearly 10 million girls and boys” needing “immediate [and] lifesaving support” (“Devastating floods in Pakistan”). The flood not only caused Pakistan to go through economic downturn, suffering “$15.2 billion in economic losses”, but more importantly harmed over “20.6 million people [who] require humanitarian assistance, including around 8.2 million in flood-affected areas who need health services.” (“2022 Pakistan Floods”).

The floods also caused women to suffer more than usual during their menstruation cycles, as menstruation items such as pads, tampons, and adult underwear became increasingly difficult to find and afford. According to TIMEs, “[r]elief organizations are rushing aid to affected areas—but supplies of menstrual products are often overlooked. That’s partly because of the stigma around discussing periods in Pakistan” (Mansoor). 

With the nation facing period poverty, GirlsB4Girls decided to collaborate with one of Pakistan's largest NPOs dedicated to providing women with period products as well as period education—as with the stigma and misconceptions surrounding periods in Pakistan, many women lack education about how to care for themselves during their menstruation cycle. Upon seeing this, GirlsB4Girls hosted a fundraiser which solicited funds that were sent to HER Pakistan for them to then buy products and hand them out to the women who were struggling during the floods. The fundraiser was a success, making headlines on SingTao Vancouver which helped spread the word of the fundraiser and allowed people to make donations via e-transfer. With the word spreading, we were able to gain more funds allowing us to help more women in Pakistan who were struggling during the floods.