Feminist Coalition (FemCo) holds their annual Valentine’s Day Fundraiser Feb. 13-16 to raise funds for and sponsor the organization Community Health Improvement Collaborative (CHIC).
“The Valentine’s Day fundraiser is one of our biggest fundraisers,” FemCo Vice President Queena Xu (11) said. “It gives us the most amount of money to give to whichever organization we are sponsoring.”
During the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, members of FemCo host the fundraiser in the multipurpose room throughout lunch. They sell roses, candy grams, chocolates and raffle tickets to students.
“This year, we’re fundraising to raise money for women in need of period care products and hygiene products,” FemCo social media manager Mina Farrow-Prater (11) said. “In years past, we’ve donated to other organizations.”
CHIC is a nonprofit organization founded in 2021 by Dr. Fanaye Dadi that emphasizes health and education awareness for women and girls. The menstrual health and hygiene initiative of CHIC is called Esetoch, which focuses on improving access to menstrual health management sources.
“We are aiming to target 500 women and girls to provide the menstrual hygiene products to them,” Ruth Abraha, Secretary of CHIC and 2013 Ladue alumni, said. “The hygiene products are in a package lasting from nine months to a year, which is amazing in terms of sustainability.”
Fundraising is a key step in order for CHIC to provide hygiene products for the Esetoch program. FemCo provides the means for the organization to do so.
“We first figure out what we want to sell,” Xu said. “We figure out what sold well the previous years, and if we want to do it again. We also talk to other clubs like Student Council because typically most of the sponsoring money is donated [by Student Council].”
Girls’ education in Ethiopia is also benefited by the Esetoch program, as students are able to use more convenient products.
“In women’s and girls’ health, [we make sure] that women have the proper products and resources that they need to be able to take care of themselves and to be able to fully participate in society,” Abraha said. “That includes going to school and not dropping out because you started your period or because you don’t have anything that you could use for a pad or any sort of hygiene product, which is a real issue abroad.”
By participating in the fundraiser, students are able to make a difference in CHIC’s work.
“My favorite part about being in FemCo is that I’m making an impact, and I feel like I get to support what I believe in,” Farrow-Prater said. “Even though we might not be raising millions of dollars, I know that what we’re doing is making a change, and we’re also shooting to inspire other people to want to make change too.”
