​EmpowHer-ment Through Partnership

By: Kathy Fitisone, Alliance Staff
Ms. Marci has just completed her 5th year as a teacher at Tafuna High School.  She teaches English and College Prep for Seniors and Creative Writing as an elective.  Her educational background is in Women’s & Gender Studies and Curriculum & Instruction.  She is also the founder and advisor of Tafuna High School’s Brown Sisters Club.  The BSC was created to inspire, educate, and empower our girls to be leaders within our schools and communities through service to others.
This year was the second school year where the BSC spearheaded the “Girl’s Pantry”, a designated area that makes menstrual products available to the school’s female population and hygiene and grooming products available to all students.  The purchase of the necessary items was made available through donations of family and friends, and an online envelope fundraiser.  According to Ms. Marci, while the initial goal of the Girl’s Pantry was to decrease absenteeism of the female population by having these products readily available, free of charge, to students in need; there have been other goals as well: “An increase in the confidence of our female students, and the positive, constructive dialogues that have taken place, especially by our male students, in regards to menstruation being a natural, biological process.”
Through a partnership with the Alliance, the BSC was able to continue to be of service to the students even though the island has been on lockdown since February due to COVID-19.  According to Ms. Marci, “I initially approached the Alliance last October, wanting to partner on the Girl’s Pantry and educational outreaches on teen domestic violence and dating violence.  Given the busy schedules of both teaching and Alliance work, we were not able to re-connect until early February and then we were hit with COVID-19.  So once, again it looked like we would have to put our project on the back burner, but we came up with the idea of using the items that were graciously provided by the Alliance and other donors to create PowHer Packs for our students to stop by the school and pick up if needed.”  Through the PowHer Pack Project 90 – 100 girls were assisted during the COVID restrictions.
According to one female student, “These PowHer Packs are necessary for the girls.  The items are important and I wish girls from other schools had these resources too.  The Pantry has saved me multiple times when I had my period or when I needed hygiene products.  I’m thankful that we have this on campus.  I don’t have to worry about having to go home if I suddenly get my period.”
A male student offered, “I always see the girls use the Pantry, and I’m glad we can use the deodorant and other stuff too.”
Lastly, from Ms. Marci herself, “The Pantry has been such an important resource for the students on campus, especially our girls, and the PowHer Pack have been a positive reinforcement during these long, often lonely challenging times of COVID-19 that we are all still here for each other.  We have changed the conversation about hygiene and periods on campus.  It used to be a taboo topic and something that most girls would be embarrassed about.  To use a powerful phrase coined by the Alliance, it’s totally different now, ‘we have reformed the norm’, if you will.”