在易胜博娱乐分校的凯莎·约翰逊的帮助下，加纳沃尔塔地区的年轻女性收到了可重复使用的经期产品和其他卫生用品, 作为英语课程的一部分，他带着学生访问了这个国家. 在了解到税收往往使妇女和女孩无法购买这些用品后，她发起了一场女性卫生用品运动.
ABINGTON, Pa. — When Keisha Johnson traveled to Ghana for 10 days with Penn State Abington faculty to support students enrolled in an embedded course, 她的部分动机是探索这个作为数百万被运往美国的奴隶的出口点的国家. 但约翰逊不知道的是，她将帮助那些生活在五岁以下的年轻妇女和女孩,000 miles away from her Philadelphia home.
当阿宾顿小组探索并与西非国家的公民接触时, Johnson, 阿宾顿大学居住生活和社区标准主任, 了解到年轻女性往往买不起经期产品.
“避孕套是免费的，但对女性产品征税. 就女性在世界上所面临的斗争而言，这真的引起了我的共鸣. If a young girl doesn’t have the products she needs, she won’t be able to go to school, and there’s a domino effect attached to it,” she said.
“I was so moved by everything about Ghana, the heat, the history, the change in environment, and my interactions with people there. 但还有其他一些事情让我耿耿于怀，比如这些女孩可以以一种真实而有意义的方式从我们的帮助中受益,” Johnson continued.
After she sat with this realization for a while, Johnson circled back to ADANU, 在加纳接待阿宾顿学生的组织. She asked Richard Yinkah, the executive director of ADANU, if sending donations of period products would be feasible, and he quickly threw his support behind the project.
“女性卫生运动不仅仅是提供基本用品, it's about ensuring dignity, health and confidence. We can break down barriers, erase taboos, 创造一个每个女人和女孩都可以毫无愧悔地追求梦想的世界,” Yinnkah said.
收到ADANU的批准后，约翰逊制作了一张传单和一个在线愿望清单. Family, colleagues, friends, 朋友的朋友们用产品和金钱来响应这个号召.
“The response was beyond what I expected. My male friends came through in a big way. It also started conversations and expanded others. People wanted to know more, and I’m grateful for that. I want to keep the conversation going,” she said.
Johnson and Yinkah worked through the logistics, 由于运输成本和进口税，这些产品有时令人望而生畏, 但他们还是把约翰逊放在客厅里的堆积如山的产品送了出去.
她还了解到加纳一家名为“女王皇家护理”的组织，该组织生产可重复使用的经期产品, and sent them $200 she collected. Queens produced 60 sets of reusable pads, soaps, 卫生清洁产品和内裤衬垫在该国伏特地区的四所学校分发.
最终，60多名学生收到了卫生用品包. 来自Adanu的小组举办了关于女性卫生的会议，使年轻妇女掌握有效管理月经健康的知识和信心.
“女性卫生用品运动通过改善获得月经卫生用品的途径，对Volta地区年轻女孩的生活产生了重大影响, empowering them through education and awareness, 通过在当地购买可重复使用的卫生巾，鼓励当地经济发展,” Yinkah said.
“这一努力的连锁反应无疑将远远超出直接受益者,” he said.
约翰逊说，她正在考虑如何继续推动，即使只有一年一次.
“这种动力可能看起来很小，但对这些年轻女性来说意义重大. 它给女孩们提供了选择，帮助她们不觉得自己必须迎头赶上或退缩. 希望这能让他们明白教育的重要性. 我们一直在说教育很重要，现在我们有办法消除一个障碍。.
“当我们有能力改变世界时，我们就应该去做，”她补充说. “我的生活充满了挑战，但你永远不应该忽视被祝福. You need to be a blessing."
易胜博娱乐分校居住生活和社区标准主任凯莎·约翰逊说.
Embedded course in Ghana: Spring 2025
Johnson joined Christina Riehman-Murphy, associate librarian, and Alisha Walters, associate professor of 19th century British literature, 而阿宾顿的学生则参加了短期国际旅行的课程, also known as an embedded course.
这门重新设计的英语课程提供了第一手的知识，让学生了解围绕文学和文化文献创作的美丽而有时又痛苦的文化背景.
这个加纳的嵌入式课程计划在2025年春季学期重复, but interested students should contact the Office of Global Programs as soon as possible to learn more.
About Penn State Abington
Penn State Abington provides an affordable, 无障碍和高影响力的教育导致多元化学生群体的成功. 它致力于通过创新的方法在世界一流的研究型大学内实现21世纪公立高等教育的学生成功. With more than 3,100 students, 易胜博娱乐分校是一所住宿校园，提供25个专业的学士学位, accelerated master's degrees, undergraduate research, the Schreyer Honors College, NCAA Division III athletics and more.
