IU South Bend to Host “Party with a Purpose” Day of Service for International Women’s Day

Indiana University South Bend will host Party with a Purpose, an annual campus- and community-wide day of service focused on menstrual equity and keeping girls in school, on Thursday, March 5, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will take place in the Grill and Fireside A & B on the IU South Bend campus and is held in observance of International Women’s Day, which is celebrated globally on March 8.

Organized by the IU South Bend Honors Program and co-sponsored by Malawi Matters and its executive director, Phyllis Wezeman, Party with a Purpose brings together students, faculty, staff, and community members to address period poverty—both globally and locally—through hands-on service, education, and community partnership.

Participants will collaborate to cut, assemble, and sew washable, reusable menstrual pads for girls and young women in Malawi, where lack of access to menstrual products causes many students to miss up to a week of school each month. The reusable pads produced during the event will be distributed through Malawi Matters, a Michiana-based nonprofit with more than two decades of experience working in over 215 villages and 1,500 schools throughout Malawi using a train-the-trainer model focused on education, health, and empowerment.

“For many girls in Malawi, something as simple as a menstrual pad can mean the difference between staying in school or falling behind,” said Phyllis Wezeman, executive director of Malawi Matters. “Party with a Purpose connects people here in Michiana with girls halfway around the world in a very tangible way. It’s powerful to see how education, dignity, and opportunity can begin with community action.”

Throughout the day, participants will also create inspirational cards to accompany each menstrual kit and engage in short educational presentations about life in Malawi, global and local period poverty, and the work of Malawi Matters and community partner organizations. Stations will be equipped with flannel, terrycloth, waterproof fabric, and sewing machines, and no sewing or crafting experience is required.

“Party with a Purpose is designed to be welcoming and accessible,” said Neovi Karakatsanis, director of the IU South Bend Honors Program. “People can drop in for a few minutes or stay for hours, learn something new, and know that their time directly supports women and girls both locally and globally.”

In addition to the global service component, the event includes a menstrual product donation drive to support women in the Michiana community experiencing menstrual insecurity. Attendees are encouraged to bring packages of pads and tampons, which will be distributed to local service organizations serving women and girls in need. Representatives from several community organizations will be present to share information and resources.

The project originated when Wezeman guest lectured in an IU South Bend course, Women in Developing Countries, and students expressed a desire to take action to support the girls and women served by Malawi Matters. The initiative has since grown into an annual Honors Program event promoting civic engagement, global awareness, public health, and gender equity.

Based on prior years, Party with a Purpose is expected to produce several hundred reusable menstrual pads for distribution in Malawi, along with hundreds of disposable menstrual products for local organizations.

The event is open to IU South Bend students, faculty, staff, and members of the broader Michiana community. Participants are welcome to drop in at any point during the day. All materials will be provided, though attendees may also bring clean or new flannel, terrycloth fabric, or towels to contribute to pad production.

For more information, contact Neovi Karakatsanis at nkarakat@iu.edu, Karrie Jean at kmjean@iu.edu, or Phyllis Wezeman at phylliswezeman1@gmail.com.