Why We Started

Miles That Matter began with a simple but powerful belief:
every girl deserves access to the resources she needs to thrive—period.

I'm Hattie Kaplan, a senior at Truckee High School and a founder of Gains for Girls (G4G)—a club focused on helping young women feel strong, confident, and supported in their bodies and minds. Through G4G, we lift weights, try new workouts like yoga and pilates, and hold lunch meetings focused on self-worth, nutrition, and journaling. We bring in powerful female guest—like instructors and nutritionists—to teach us how to care for both our bodies and our minds.

I’ve always been passionate about empowering the girls around me. But in 2024, that mission expanded far beyond my own community.

Life in Tanzania as a Girl

That summer, I traveled to Moshi, Tanzania for a service trip. I arrived excited to connect with people and learn from a new culture—but what I left with was a much deeper understanding of global inequality.

I got my period unexpectedly during the trip, and one of my mentors kindly brought me a box of pads from the local store. When I opened them, I was shocked—they were mint-scented and bulky, more like diapers than what I was used to. I was uncomfortable, but grateful. I later sat down with a local mentor, Mama Simba, and a few other girls to talk about what menstruation is like for girls in Tanzania.

Mama Simba shared that many girls in her community can’t even access those basic pads. Instead, they are sent to bed for a week with nothing but a rag tied around their waist. They miss school—over and over again. Eventually, many drop out completely. What’s worse is that menstruation is considered shameful and dirty. Girls don’t talk about it, not even with their mothers. If they’re lucky, maybe a sister. But most are left to figure it out completely alone.

One girl from my host family, who was around my age, was also on her period during my visit. I was shocked to see that, unlike me, she had no access to supplies—she was isolated in her bed with nothing but a rag tied around her waist. It hit me just how different our experiences were, even though we were the same age. On my last day, Mama Simba hugged me tightly and said,“I hope you put your ideas into action, and I will help you with anything you need.”That moment stayed with me—and it became the beginning of this mission.

The Bigger Picture

The deeper I looked, the more I realized the issue went far beyond period supplies.

Because girls don’t understand their menstrual or reproductive cycles, many end up pregnant at an early age. In Tanzania and across East Africa, 1 in 4 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 become teen moms. Without access to education or resources, their path to independence is cut short before it even begins.

A family friend and Ugandan lawyer named Sharron explained:

“Girls start getting their periods around age 9. If they don’t have access to supplies, they miss a quarter of school. That leads to dropping out—often before finishing middle school.”

After middle school, education in many African countries is no longer free. Families in poverty can’t afford to send their daughters to high school. With no education and no income, many girls are married off young, not out of choice, but as a means of survival—hoping for food security, shelter, and safety.

These girls are capable of so much more.
But because of stigma, silence, and structural barriers, they’re taught that their only value is to serve a man—not to lead, learn, or dream.

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Our Approach

When I came home, I started working to change that.

With Mama Simba, my Gains for Girls team, and support from CouldYou? Cup, we created a holistic, sustainable plan—not just to hand out supplies, but to educate, equip, and empower.

Here’s what we’re doing through Miles That Matter:

• Reusable menstrual cups and hygeine kits
  Partnering with CouldYou? Cup lets us provide reusable menstrual cups that last for years. Along with education on proper use, these cups help girls in Tanzania manage their periods sustainably, stay in school, and feel empowered every day.
• Culturally grounded health education
  We’re creating a curriculum for Tanzanian teachers, built with local voices, that explains the menstrual and reproductive cycles in a clear, honest, and empowering way.
• Financial empowerment
  Girls learn how to make and sell reusable pads, teaching entrepreneurship, self-reliance, and income generation.
• Confidence + self-worth
  The workbook we’re developing also includes mindset and goal-setting tools, helping girls redefine what’s possible for their lives—beyond early marriage or motherhood.

This isn’t charity.
This is equipping girls to lead, on their terms, with their strengths.

Changing the Conversation

We’re not just raising money—we’re changing the way people talk about periods.

At our 5K event in Truckee, we cover the park in eye-opening infographics. We invite families, schools, and runners to read, reflect, and talk. Most people in our community have never considered that getting your period could mean losing your education. That’s why these conversations matter—because awareness leads to empathy, and empathy leads to action.

In the Tanzanian curriculum, boys will learn too. This is a community issue, not just a “girl issue.” When boys and girls understand the truth about their bodies and respect each other, stigma loses its power.

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