Something to Talk About
When Ioanna over at Campfire Innovation told me about The Unmentionables I was intrigued. A group working with vulnerable refugees focusing on all the stuff nobody likes to talk about? Feminine hygeine products? Underwear? Sexual health products?
I knew from my own experience delivering aid how easy it is to forget these items are needed, and how hard it is for people to ask for them. When I learned the group was using Smart Aid principles — conducting needs assessments and purchasing from in-country vendors in Greece, I knew we had a new partner to onboard to NeedsList.
The Unmentionables is a non-profit launched in October 2016 by U.S.-based Megan Beck and Canadian Kaleigh Heard. Given the extent of the global refugee crisis, there are, of course, many needs that need to be met, but the ones that are most often overlooked are those that are ‘unmentionable’ — products that are embarrassing to ask for, misunderstood, or culturally taboo. Underwear, intimate hygiene products, and sexual health products are particularly embarrassing. Heard said that when she and her colleagues discovered NeedsList, they also knew it was an organization that could help them attain their goals of providing these products to refugee populations in a dignified environment.
“ What Needslist has done is incredible and such a great way to for us to connect with donors. Tasha and Amanda helped us create our own ‘NeedsList.’ It’s made it very easy for us to let our donors know exactly what types of items refugees actually want and need. It’s a very important, practical platform to help ensure that good intentions actually have an impact and recipients receive items that are useful.”
Effective, Efficient, Ethical
Heard, who is working on a PhD in political science, says she is passionate about implementing Smart Aid principles to be effective and efficient.
“We ensure that everything we buy is based on needs assessments that are given to refugees in advance so we know what products they prefer, not just need. These wants and needs are very intimate and personal for them.”
Dignity through hygiene is The Unementionables’ motto, and their approach emphasises privacy, confidentiality, and recipients own agency in selecting the products that work best for them.
Many organizations have a longer logistical chain with international shipping and customs often resulting in lost money and lost time. The Unmentionables focuses on acquiring as much of their product as possible in the regions they serve to increase efficiency and provide economic benefit to the local community.
Products for women but also for men
While the name of the organization may make people immediately think of female needs, The Unmentionables also provides intimate health products like PH-balanced soap, underwear and condoms to men and boys.
“The Souda camp in Chios is actually 80 per cent male right now,” Heard says. “Many of them are unaccompanied minors. Women and families tend to move out of the camp more quickly as they are often deemed vulnerable cases. That will likely change during the summer months so we do ongoing needs assessments to ensure we are providing the right products in the right numbers.”
Heard says there’s a very specific reason why they provide sexual health products, particularly condoms.
“While our mandate to provide sexual health products is in response to both family planning needs and sexually transmitted infection protection options, the largest population we hope to provide sexual health products and support to are unaccompanied minors. In Athens there is a significant issue with young unaccompanied migrants turning to the sex trade. In many cases, these individuals are existing on the margins, largely out of luck in terms of money and community services that could protect them from vulnerable situations. While we cannot prevent young people from resorting to the sex trade in our current capacity, we can ensure they have access to products that will protect them from life-altering disease and infection.”
Thanks to NeedsList users purchasing condoms for The Unmentionables, co-founder Megan Beck was able to to do a soft launch and incubator distribution this week in Souda, Chios Island. Megan wrote,
“All but one man who were offered condoms accepted them, and all of them accepted the maximum amount per person we offered.”
Partners are crucial
The Unmentionables partners with more than 15 organizations, including Lunapads International, a women-owned social mission-driven business based in Vancouver, Canada. Heard said,
“They have allowed us to purchase 200 kits of reusable period panties, which include three pairs of underwear, three inserts and a carrying case), for CAD 5 each. This is amazing since just one pair of their period panties retails for nearly CAD 40 dollars.”
People living in Athens in fairly stable conditions are more likely to have access to basic needs such as running water, showers and laundry facilities, Heard says.
“We are piloting our reusable feminine hygiene products through our partnership with Lunapads for women and girls living in more stable conditions. Alongside the distribution of these products we are developing an online, automatically translated, feminine hygiene and sexual health platform for these girls and women to learn about sexual and reproductive health and how to care for themselves and their new products in an anonymous, friendly, and easily accessible environment.”
Want to help? Meet a Need!
The Unmentionables is careful about what kinds of underwear they provide to migrants living in unhygienic circumstances. Help The Unmentionables purchase underwear here.
The Unmentionables provides each woman they serve with enough feminine hygiene products that meet the requirements for the entirety of her monthly period. Purchase feminine hygiene products here.
The Unmentionables provides condoms both for family planning purposes and for STI prevention. You can buy them directly here
Thanks to Kaleigh and Megan for helping us take NeedsList for a test drive, and to Debra Lodoen for contributing to the reporting for this article.
