Various menstrual products
News

pme donates: Periodensystem e.V.

Maxi Bethge-Lewandoski has a vision: to end period poverty in Germany and promote education around the topic of menstruation. As the founder of the voluntary association Periodensystem e.V., she is committed to giving the topic of menstruation the attention it deserves. In this interview, Maxi gives us an insight into her inspiring work and the challenges involved. 

"The topic of menstruation and period poverty needs more social awareness and attention."

Who is behind the periodic table?

Maxi : We are an association founded and run by volunteers. Each and every one of us pursues the mission of creating more equality and providing low-threshold help and education on period poverty and menstruation. 

Our members have been collecting donations since 2016 to provide those in need with period and hygiene products. We also work with artists, gynecologists, schools and companies to raise awareness. The topic of menstruation and period poverty needs more social awareness and attention.

What does your daily work look like?

Maxi: We distribute period and hygiene items to emergency shelters, schools, organizations and mother and child homes, among others. We are also in close contact with homeless shelters and social institutions. This means we always know what is needed when and can guarantee that the donations arrive where they are needed. We supply emergency shelters such as those run by GEBEWO, Berliner Stadtmission, SKF and DRK directly with menstrual and hygiene products via our crowdfunding page on betterplace.org

Through our online community on Instagram and Facebook, we educate people about period poverty and the topics of menstruation, equality and more in general. 

In regular online live sessions, meet-ups and interviews, our team and community members provide information on topics such as intersexuality, pregnancy, homelessness and sexuality. We also offer workshops for companies, schools and events to raise awareness of the topic among as many social groups as possible.

We make the topic visible on Instagram and cooperate with companies to get it out of the taboo zone.


Access to menstrual products is not a matter of course.

How did you come up with the idea of campaigning for period education?

Maxi : I have always thought about what actually happens to menstruating women when they are in need. People think about food, clothes and sleeping bags first, but not about periods. 

Then I heard about projects in the UK and the USA and created a crowdfunding page on Betterplace.org. I got GEBEWO on board as a partner to buy products for their emergency shelter and that's how Periodensystem came about.

What do you think a fair world looks like when it comes to dealing with menstruation - and what do you think still needs to change to get there?

Maxi: We have five demands: more education through better education policy in schools and drop-in centers, more public toilets as a shelter for menstruating women, better social policy regarding rent policy and wage levels, better health policy with education and research into diseases, and free items in public buildings - like in Scotland.

What challenges do you face most often in your day-to-day work - be it in terms of organization, financing or dealing with social taboos?

Maxi: In the social sector, our work is widely respected and recognized. We are particularly well received in communities that are committed to equality and social justice. But as soon as we move into the corporate sector, we often encounter challenges. Here, the issue is often seen as a "nice to have" - a side issue that doesn't always get the attention it deserves. 

Especially in the current political and economic situation, there is a risk that topics such as menstruation and sex education will once again disappear from the focus of public perception.
At the same time, we are seeing an increasing demand for sustainable period products, which is pleasing, but also places a heavy burden on our financial and logistical capacities.

How do people react when they hear about your work for the first time?

Maxi: We often hear: "That's right, I haven't even thought about that yet."


According to Plan International menstruating people spend on average between 550 and 650 euros on period products per year.

Are there any stories or encounters that have particularly touched you?

Maxi: There are many touching stories, but the words of thanks from people we have been able to help directly are particularly motivating.

You have received a donation of 10,000 euros from pme. What projects have you already been able to implement or would you like to implement with it?

Maxi: The generous donation of 10,000 euros helps us enormously to drive our work forward and distribute sustainable period products exactly where they are most urgently needed. With these funds, we can not only cover acute needs, but also implement projects aimed at long-term education and awareness-raising.

When people want to support you: What helps you most at the moment - apart from financial donations?

Maxi: Please invite us to your companies so that we can talk about this important topic there. Such conversations help to raise awareness of sustainable menstrual products and remove taboos from the topic in professional environments.

You can also support us by sharing our Instagram profile. If you have school-age children, we would be very happy if you could promote the topic in your children's schools. "Ella's World" is a fantastic guide to providing age-appropriate and informal education about menstruation for 9-14 year olds.

Social commitment of the pme Familienservice

The "pme donates" fundraising campaign has been running for four years, giving pme team members the opportunity to nominate charitable organizations in the areas of international development aid, social work, climate and animal protection and culture for a donation, which they actively support. All team members then vote for the organizations they want to support. The organizations with the most votes receive a donation from pme Familienservice. In 2024, six national and international organizations received a total of 50,000 euros in donations.

zero Lateral entry as an educator at the pme Familienservice

Young woman watches little girl
Pedagogy

Lateral entry as an educator at pme

Many roads lead to childcare center. Our team members tell us how they managed to make a career change.

pme Lernwelten offers many training opportunities in the pedagogical field: for example, as a social pedagogical assistant, educator, dual study program in childhood education, recognition internships and mandatory internships. A lateral entry is also possible in many different ways. 

Educational staff are in demand like never before. Those who work in a childcare center or crèche have the best prospects for the future, many opportunities to get involved and a fulfilling job. Even those who have no pedagogical training can sometimes work in a crèche, kindergarten or after-school care center in addition to pedagogical specialists.

And there are various ways to train or retrain as an educator later on, for example:

  • practice-integrated training,
  • part-time training,
  • the external examination.

 

"Many roads lead to childcare center! Although the regional requirements regarding qualifications vary greatly, we always find creative ways to make this dream come true in joint discussions and in cooperation with youth welfare offices, vocational colleges and universities." Stephanie Niemierza, central childcare center coordination of the pme Familienservice

Lateral entry and retraining as an educator - pme team members talk about it

In some regions, it is possible to work at childcare center without pedagogical training and to support the professionals.

The pme Familienservice employs many people who have made the transition to childcare center through temporary work or parental leave cover. For example, Annette, who got a taste of the job as a temporary employee at Locomotion Kids in Düsseldorfand joined the group on a permanent basis as a parental leave replacement. The trained graphic designer enriches the educational program with her creativity and also focuses on language and movement.  

First a vacation supervisor, then a group leader

From vacation supervisor to jumper. These were Sonja's first stations at childcare center. She previously worked in retail. Sonja also started out as a parental leave replacement. After completing a practice-integrated training course to become an educator, she is now a group leader and a representative for animal-assisted education and focuses on natural sciences. 

In order to work with children, Heike worked for the pme Familienservice as a nanny in a private household and took on emergency childcare assignments, among other things. She had always wanted to work at childcare center . After a conversation with her contacts at pme Familienservice , it finally came true. "At over 50, I've now found my dream job," says Heike. 

Teodora was successful in the PR world for many years. During a break, she came to the nursery as a temp through a friend. The management soon offered her a permanent full-time position. "I come to the facility every day with a feeling of happiness," she says. The next step in her career planning is a dual degree in social work. 

This Yumpu content can only be loaded if you accept the privacy policy of i-magazine AG.

To the data protection settings "

From another country

People who come to Germany from another country often find that foreign professional and academic qualifications are not recognized. Olivia, who studied to be a teacher in Brazil, also experienced this. However, with the support of the pme Familienservice , she was able to work in a pme crèche in Bonn. After completing a two-year qualification in early childhood education, Olivia is now a group leader at childcare center, as well as a multiplier for Pikler education and house spokesperson. 

Returning to work after a long break? It's possible!

Do you have a pedagogical education, but haven't worked in the pedagogical field for a long time?

Petra also came back after a long break. When her job at childcare center was cut in the 1980s, she began training in the commercial sector on the advice of the employment agency. Hard to imagine today: back then, there were actually too many educators. After 25 years in the office, Petra felt the desire to work with children again. She was welcomed with open arms at Locomotion Kids in Düsseldorf and has now "finally arrived again!"

Career changers welcome!

"At pme-childcare centers , we benefit greatly from colleagues who come to us via lateral entry," says Stephanie Niemierza. "Many discover completely new potential in themselves. They experience how much fun it is to work in a team and decide to pursue this career path in the long term. We have already recruited many specialists this way and have had excellent experiences. Career changers have usually chosen this career path very consciously and work with a lot of heart, commitment and motivation. They often bring with them knowledge and skills from previous careers that enrich the pedagogical offering at childcare center . And at pme Familienservice , they have many opportunities to get involved". 

Retraining or further qualification: various options possible

For many people, working as a supplementary worker or kindergarten assistant is the ideal way to start working at childcare center.

If you want to go one step further later, you can complete part-time or practice-integrated training, for example to become a state-recognized educator. This type of qualification, which is offered by non-profit organizations and vocational schools, opens up career opportunities such as group management or even facility management. 

The qualification as a state-recognized educator can also be achieved through part-time training , with lessons taking place in the evenings and at weekends. The training is aimed at people who have already gained experience in the educational field but do not yet have a qualification, or at childcare workers who would like to gain further qualifications. However, the two-year course requires discipline and a high degree of personal responsibility. Our team member Mia is a drama and language teacher and has been working at pme-childcare center Bülowkids for some time. She completed the part-time training alongside her freelance work as an additional pedagogical employee in order to be able to work as a specialist.

 

Entry via non-pupil examination/external examination

The so-called non-student or external examination is a challenging way to graduate as an educator, in which you have to acquire the pedagogical content and the necessary specialist knowledge largely through self-study. Our team member Nicole chose this route. She passed her first state examination to become a secondary school teacher, but decided against the teaching profession during her traineeship. "The external exam was pretty tough. I was only given the names of the learning modules from school and had to work through all the content on my own within six months," she recalls. But she made it and has now been happily working as an educator for eight years.

We are happy to advise you!

These examples only show some of the possibilities, and the conditions for working at childcare center vary greatly from region to region. We will be happy to advise you individually if you are interested in joining one of the learning worlds atchildcare centers .

Just send a short email to lernwelten@familienservice.de. We will get back to you.

Further information:

Non-student examination
 

childcare center.de Knowledge lateral entry

This Vimeo content can only be loaded if you accept the privacy policy of Vimeo, LLC.

To the data protection settings "

 

About the pme Lernwelten

As a provider of over 90 childcare and educational facilities, we offer parents and their children high-quality and flexible education. People from different nations, with diverse talents and interests, contribute to our colorful teams.

You can find our current educator vacancies here.