For a woman in need of something as small as a bra and underwear, self-confidence and dignity can take a knock at a time they need it most.
A project to empower girls and women who are in need with bras and underwear is currently underway in the northern suburbs of Cape Town.
The initiative, Project Uplift, started in October 2017 and is a Kindness Like Confetti (KLC) project which is supported by The Bra Guru in Durbanville.
KLC is the NGO that founded Project Uplift. Having been involved with KLC before it located to Cape Town from Johannesburg, owner of the Bra Guru Nandi Canning partnered with KLC for this initiative as it represented the essence of their business – fitting ladies with new bras.
“We collect gently-used bras and underwear that is no longer worn and donate them to girls and women in need.
“The bras and underwear we collect provide women with dignity, support and comfort in the communities in which we live,” says Canning.
To date the project has collected 174 bras, but the project is hoping to increase this number substantially over the coming months.
On Wednesday 16 February Canning, who represents the Bra Guru and KLC, met with the representatives of New Life Centre in Boston to hand over the first batch of bras collected from donors. Forty bras were handed over.
“New Life Centre is a Christian home founded by the ministry of the Bellville Methodist Church that offers hope to pregnant women who choose life for their unborn babies and who use the opportunities given to them by New Life Centre to discover and develop their potential,” says Canning.
Canning says the project is an ongoing initiative as there will always be a need for items like these.
“We have also identified several other girl and women focussed organisations who will benefit from donations going forward.
“We have several drop-off points around the Cape, but would love to add more so we can make it easier for donors to get the bras to us,” says Canning.
If you have any bras or underwear you’d like to donate, or if you’d like to become a drop-off point for bras please email Nandi on nandi@thebraguru.co.za for more information.
For more information about New Life Centre you can visit www.newlifecentre.co.za or email info@newlifecentre.co.za.
For more info about Kindness Like Confetti you can visit www.kindness.org.za, email nandi@kindness.org.za or join their Facebook page @kindconfetticpt.
If you are an organisation who could benefit from donations made to Project Uplift you can email nandi@thebraguru.co.za. for more information.
