Intro to Cycle Charting and Fertility Awareness: Cyclone Ditwah Fundraiser

Are you curious about cycle charting but have been overwhelmed getting started? Join this workshop where we will get you started with the basics! We will introduce you to fertility awareness method (FAM) and provide concise instructions on cycle charting. We will go over the phases of the menstrual cycle, how to use FAM as birth control, when to time insemination or intercourse for conception, and ways that it can help you gain insight into your health. We will include tips for ADHD success, living in a way to support your cycle, and introduce some holistic practises. We will differentiate between a true period and an anovulatory bleed and how to confirm if you have ovulated. There will be customizable, streamlined cycle charts sent out to the participants!

About the facilitator:

Aya (she/they) is a full spectrum doula and fertility support practitioner based in Vancouver, Canada and virtually. In her fertility work, she primarily works with QTBIPOC families who are trying to conceive or people who want to learn about their cycles for birth control and as a vital sign for their health. They are passionate about reproductive rights and bodily autonomy, and teaching cycle charting so their clients can have agency in a way that cannot be taken away by the health care system and ever changing political climate. As a mixed race, neurodivergent, and queer doula, she is committed to teaching and supporting clients in a way that is inclusive, accessible, and culturally rooted.

Why are we fundraising?

We are hosting a series of online wellbeing workshops in January and February 2026, offering accessible practices to support rest, healing, and connection. The programme includes sessions such as yoga, dramatherapy, and mindfulness, led by experienced facilitators. All workshops are designed to nurture collective care while raising funds for communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

Cyclone Ditwah brought intense rain, flooding and landslides to the Hill Country and North-East Tamil regions, with some areas seeing over 350 mm of rainfall in 24 hours and more than one million people affected by loss of homes and livelihoods.

Structural marginalisation—including lack of land ownership and historical injustice—means many Tamil families face severe barriers to accessing relief and reconstruction support, exacerbating pre-existing inequalities.

War displacement forced many Muslim families into temporary, unrecognized settlements. These precarious shelters face extreme vulnerability to flooding and landslides.

Malayaham communities endure compounding vulnerabilities: generational discrimination, exploitation by plantation companies, and substandard housing increase their exposure to landslides and floods.

Gender-diverse and trans individuals navigate daily discrimination, including under Penal Code sections 365, 365A, and 399. Standard relief camps often feel unsafe, and government aid may be withheld entirely.

This online fundraiser supports community-led relief and recovery efforts that prioritise dignity, care and long-term support for marginalised individuals and families.

Sambol Foundation works at the grassroots to support women, children, and marginalised communities through education, healthcare access, and community development initiatives.

Arokiyam pour toustes Collective (France–USA) and the Jaffna Trans Network – JTN have come together to support our people during this critical time. The JTN continues to fight against all forms of sexual, gender, and identity- based discrimination, while also working toward ethnic harmony and justice for Tamil and Muslim communities in the post-war North.

Blue Magpie Foundation supports community-driven projects focused on health, education, and sustainable livelihoods, prioritising empowerment and locally led solutions.

If you have any questions about this fundraiser please reach out the the organsiers Amisha Abeyawardene (hello@amishathebirthworker.com) and Viz Vijayakumar (viz_v@hotmail.com).