Before we lose you with the phrase “period health,” hear us out.

 

As engineers, we prioritize it because it is infrastructure.

 

Menstrual Hygiene Day calls for a period-friendly world: one where menstruation is not stigmatized, and everyone has access to products, toilets, education, and health services.

 

At first glance, that might not sound like engineering.

 

But access to a private bathroom is infrastructure.

A hygiene cabinet stocked with menstrual products is infrastructure.

A women's-only space designed around safety concerns is infrastructure.

 

And this month, that work showed up across all four regions.

This month, José, Pepe, and Karely traveled from Reynosa to Tapachula to support Dison and our partners across southern Mexico.

 

They spent the week improving shelter spaces, leading health education, visiting community sites, and strengthening relationships with local organizations serving migrants and displaced families.

 

At Belén Shelter, work continues on a women’s-only space designed to address safety concerns and create a place where women can access services, participate in programming, and rest with greater privacy and comfort.

 

The work mattered. But so did the trip itself.

 

When our teams from different regions come together, knowledge is shared, partnerships grow stronger, and our ability to respond to community needs grows with them.

This month, Lara conducted a needs assessment in Marka camp.

 

Alongside supply distributions, she facilitated a workshop for 27 girls about menstrual health and personal hygiene.

 

Meanwhile, regular programming continued in Jerash and the downtown community.

 

One STEM lesson explored how sound travels. After building telephones with cups and strings, children quickly put the science to the test.

 

Health education. STEM learning. Community connection.

 

Different activities. The same goal.

 

At Phoenix House, Lina continued leading STEM workshops for children.

 

This month's challenge: balloon-powered cars.

 

Not every car rolled as planned. But every experiment became a lesson in problem-solving, persistence, and joy.

 

At the same time, a recent policy change caused electricity costs at Phoenix House to triple almost overnight.

 

We’re now accelerating plans for a solar installation to reduce costs, increase sustainability, and strengthen the shelter’s long-term resilience.

This month, we welcomed four graduate practicum students to the SE team for the summer.

 

Since our earliest days, university partnerships have played an important role in our growth.

 

Students bring new ideas, new energy, and new skills. In return, they gain hands-on experience applying their knowledge and experience to real-world humanitarian challenges.

 

University partnerships strengthen our programs today while helping prepare the next generation of humanitarian leaders for tomorrow.

A period-friendly world is not abstract. It is built.

 

It looks like:

When these systems are in place, participation increases. In school, work, and daily life.

 

That’s why we treat menstrual health as infrastructure. Because it is.

 

Different countries. Different contexts. The same steady approach.

 

Thank you for being part of it.

 

 

P.S. Did you hear we're expanding our Board? Find the position description on LinkedIn

Solidarity Inc is a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization

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