Summer 2025
Even though gardening and family visits have taken up a bit of our time, The MoonCatcher Project is in full swing with MoonBees, presentations, new projects around the world and Period Pantry activities here at home.
Be sure to mark your calendars for upcoming MoonBees!
September 6: Union College MoonBee, 10-12 in the Old Chapel
November 1: Glens Falls MoonBee at the CrandallPublic Library , 1-3 PM
Want to host a MoonBee? Contact me at mooncatcherproject@gmail.com. We are scheduling now for fall.
Our recent MoonBees at the First United Methodist Church of East Greenbush and the Faith Methodist Church of Schenectady were fun and productive events.
Whenever we produce MoonCatcher Kits at our MoonBees, we team up with other nonprofits or NGOs to get them to the girls who need them. In the last few months kits have gon to
50 kits for the Taasa Health Clinic, in Uganda.
100 kits went to Hispañola Health Partners in Haiti
20 kits went to a Zonta Club in the Phillippines for distribution at a school.
30 kits went to the Westminster Presbyterian Church for it’s work at the Kingdom Embassy School, in Bernard Farm, Liberia - a poor village in the suburbs of Liberia's capital, Monrovia.
100 kits were sent to a MoonCatcher group in Duncanville, Alabama for distribution throughout Africa
50 kits went with the Giving Circle of Saratoga Springs to be taken to KagomaGate, Uganda.
update from africa.
In Malawi we have been working on helping our team to teach the boys’ curriculum in schools near Mthuntama. Recently medical students Katelyn Reynols and Gaelle Gourdet from UMass Chan School of Medicine traveled to Malawi and worked with the MoonCatcher Team to present the boys curriculum. Many thanks to both of them for helping us to move this part of our work forward.
More photos from Malawi below.
Inflation in Malawi continues to be an enormous challenge. According to the BBC, Malawi is one of six African countries that is experiencing a “hyperinflation economy.” This is when there is cumulative inflation over three years of around 100% or more. The World Bank estimates that 70% of Malawi’s population lives on $2.15 a day or less. Read more about how this crisis is impacting women in Malawi.
In Kenya our friend and board member Agnes Pala-Bukhala has been spending a lot of time working to improve the sustainability of our project there. She has been meeting with NGOs and government officials to obtain NGO status for our project. This would make it possible for our team to fundraise in Kenya. Meanwhile, Jackie and Bella continue produce MoonCatcher Kits and deliver them to school girls in the Kisumu and Ahero regions. In the photo below, Jackie visits the Ack Rae Girls High School in Kisumu County.
From Uganda our best news is that our coordinator, Phoebe Nabwami, will be visiting the US this fall and we will be fortunate to have her with us at our Annual MoonWine & Cheese Party as well as at our fall presentations and MoonBees. Phoebe has been part of The MoonCatcher Project since 2014 and she is integral to our success in Africa. Last year, with her help and with the hard work of Helen and Lon Penna (local friends and Rotarians), and the Namugangu Rotary Club in Uganda, we were able to secure at 3-year $43,000 grant from Rotary International. Phoebe has been working hard to meet the requirements of the grant and so far has delivered kits and instruction to 10 or the 20 schools identified as priorities by the Namugangu Club . Below is a photo of girls from the Nakabango Primary School in Jinja, Uganda. These girls will no longer have to worry about menstrual management - thanks to Phoebe, Tabitha and their team.
other work abroad
In Nigeria, a group called Teamcoby Nigeria is interested in producing MoonCatcher Kits. I will be working with their representative, Lola Phillips, to help them get started, share our pattern and offer advice. The model that will drive this new project is similar to the work we are doing in Pakistan where our friends - local Rotarians Lon and Helen Penna - have worked with a group in Gujranwala to set up a sewing cooperative where MoonCatcher Kits are being produced. While we don’t finance this group, we do provide assistance and support - along with our pattern and our curriculum. Recently I spent some time on a Zoom meeting with a group of women to help them with their sewing.
fighting period poverty at home
The Honest Weight Cooperative is the latest location for a Period Pantry. Coop volunteer Janet Nally is shown in the photo below with the new pantry placed next to the free food pantry. We are so excited about this partnership.
Recently Menands School District Nurse, Diane Rosenburger contacted us about providing menstrual supplies for students. We were able to donate over 1500 products. Thanks Diane!
New Choices Recovery Center is an Alcoholism treatment program in Schenectady, New York where we recently were able to provide over 700 period products.
We now have a Period Pantry near the Schenectady Library - moved there from the previous location at the Schenectady YWCA.
The support of the Schenectady Foundation keeps our pantries stocked!
Getting the Word out
Some of our volunteers have been working hard to get the word out about our work. Thanks to Claire and Brynn for keep our social media accounts active and tabling at community events to talk to people about our work. And thanks also to Roz and Gail for doing the same.
I continue to speak to local organizations every chance I have. Recently I met with members of the Schenectady Business & Professional Women's Club to provide information on period poverty at home and abroad and to tell them about our work.
Do you have a group that would like to learn more about our work? Please contact me at mooncatcherproject@gmail.org.
Our annual moonwine and cheese party is coming up soon!
Do you have your tickets yet for our annual party? For the second year, we will host our event at Simone’s Kitchen in Schenectady. We are thrilled that Phoebe - our Uganda Coordinator and dear friend - will be here for the party. We hope to see many of you there! More information here.