Ella Lambert, 22, began sewing reusable sanitary products for refugees during the first lockdown.
Eighteen months later she runs a global network of 1,500 volunteers who have made 50,000 period pads for women all over the world.
The languages student, from Chelmsford, Essex, saw a huge increase in volunteers to The Pachamama Project after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has led to an estimated 3.5million people fleeing the country.
Ella said the war had created a “huge wave of empathy” for refugees.
Volunteers are given the design, before stitching the pads and sending them on to The Pachamama Project for distribution.
One of the new volunteers, Karen Johnson, helped run Taunton Scrubbers, which made and distributed more than 10,000 items to the NHS and carers during the pandemic.
She said: “A lot of our members were wanting to help those in Ukraine somehow and this seemed the perfect way for our sewists to assist. I hope that by providing reusable sanitary towels we can help reduce period poverty as well as reduce the impact on the environment.
“We can help in a small way to allow the women and girls to maintain some dignity and know that people are thinking of them in such an awful situation.”
As well as making more reusable pads – which last around five years – Ella is raising money to buy disposable pads for the many displaced people who lack access to washing facilities.
Ella said: “Our volunteers are so desperate to do their bit because period poverty is almost inevitable when there is conflict, as people have to leave without anything, often without access to their bank accounts, and into the unknown where there is unlikely to be a salary at least for a little while.
“I feel so emotional seeing this huge wave of empathy that we've never seen before, and I am so happy that the Ukrainians are being met by this community in their time of need.
“Unfortunately this empathy hasn't been shown towards refugees from other countries. I hope this situation changes the narrative towards refugees: 'refugee' is something that happens to you, it's not something you are.”
The Pachamama Project now works in Greece, Lebanon, Turkey, the UK and the USA. It has recently expanded to Uganda, where it has sent 4,000 pads to help 500 schoolgirls who have to miss school every month because of a lack of period products.
Agnes Nairn, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement at the University of Bristol, said: “When there are women in need, Ella is never far away.
“It is inspiring to see so many people using their skills to help The Pachamama Project, and by extension thousands of women worldwide.”
To help send period pads to Ukrainian refugees click here. To learn more about the Pachamama Project click here.