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Indigenous women in isolated communities have no access to bras. If bras come into the communities in with second hand clothing, they are quick to disappear.
Sue Davies writes:Why can't they buy bras? On small communities, the stores wouldn't stock them, and ladies would be too 'shamed' to touch them publicly. Even in town (Tennant Creek) 4 hours drive away, they are too expensive, and possibly for many still too embarrassing to handle, especially if you are surrounded by the inevitable gang of kids. Many of the women are very large, and probably don't find sizes to fit.
On an income such as they have, bras are pretty low on the essentials list.
The only time our mob go to Alice is to hospital, and they are not familiar with large shops. So yes, walking into a Target is daunting and not going to happen.
Size-wise we have all sizes - teenage girls longing for a nice bra, to the women who vary in size. There are a few smallish women, but I would say most are well endowed.
This is the easiest, and most expensive way of getting bras to the recipients. Per bra it is 10 times the cost of shipping, but it allows us to get small quantities into places we can't ship to.
If you are outside Australia/NZ with a small number of bras to send, it is better to post direct to the receiving country than to Australia. Tonga & Fiji need the large sizes, PNG and Vanuatu the smaller.
If you do post bras, please send an email to tell us, so we can add to our stats!
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The Fijian Women's Society Soqosoqo Vakamarama i Taukei PO Box 505 Nabua Suva Fiji Islands |
YWCA of PNG National Office P O Box 5884 BOROKO PAPUA NEW GUINEA |
Vanuatu Red Cross Society PO Box 618 Rue de Bretagne Port Vila Vanuatu |
Sione Taumoefolau Secretary General Tonga Red Cross Society PO Box 456 Nuku'alofa Tonga |
Please e-mailbefore dispatch, and tell us the volume. There is no big storage space at this address now, we need to plan ahead. (Please do not post to this address - we have to go to a post office to collect).
South Morang Chiropractic Clinic, 82 Reid Street, South Morang VIC 3752
Opening hours for delivery
Mon & Thu 1:00pm - 8:00pm
Tue, Wed & Fri 9.30am - 3.00pm
Are you travelling to one of our recipient countries?
It is often possible to carry in a small quantity (less than 50) bras to give away. Swimwear is also much appreciated in coastal and river areas.
Be aware that carrying a commercial quantity of bras in may attract the attention of Customs. Underwires show on x-ray. In Fiji for example the import duty is about 10 cents per garment, so no great impost on your holiday budget. Often if you make it clear these are a gift, and not for sale you will not be charged.
The easiest way to hand them over is to find a local person or member of resort staff you like, and quietly ask "Would these be helpful for your family?" Be aware that resort staff may be searched before leaving work, and you may have to explain to management that this is in fact a gift. On occasion bras have been left with resort management the donor felt comfortable with to distribute among staff.
Uplift's donations are usually distributed among the more isolated and poorer areas of a country, and often don't get to those fortunate enough to hold jobs in the tourism industry. These women all have the same problems obtaining bras as the rest of the country though.
Shipping requires both knowledge and coordination to work. Pallet load or whole containers may be sent. If consigning large collections by ship, please contactfor consignment details, documentation requirements and coordination.
There are organisations in other parts of the world that have objectives similar to Uplift!. Sending bras to them will save on both postage and the carbon footprint of transport.
UK www.breasttalk.co.uk/bra-appeal
US www.brarecycling.com