Taupō women donate bras, undies, togs to Pacific Islands through Project Uplift

Fiona Harris (right) is collecting bras to be sent to the Pacific Islands. Pictured with Soroptimist International members at Lake Taupō Yacht Club. Photo / Supplied

Sometimes inspiration strikes when you least expect it, like when sorting out your bras and undies drawer.

Taupō's Fiona Harris was doing precisely that and was wondering what to do with her good quality but unworn bras when her mother suggested she donate them to women in the Pacific Islands.

A bit of research later and Fiona had made contact with the New Zealand region of Soroptimists International and signed on as a collection point for Project Uplift.

Fiona and her husband Ken Harris own The Source Bulk Foods in Taupō and make it a point to donate part of their income to a charity. She says being the only collection point for the central North Island has attracted a whole lot of bra donors.

"The response has been awesome, we've had three different handovers so far, about 500 bras in total."

Women are donating good condition, "sometimes with the tags still on", underwear, swimwear, sports bras - which often end up going to South Auckland high schools because without a bra the girls won't participate in physical education, breast pads for the inside of the bra and maternity bras.

"Feedback from Soroptimists is the big sizes and nursing bras are highly sought after."

Facebook posts on local notice boards have effectively communicated to the wider public that The Source Bulk Foods is a collection point, and Fiona says the women who come into her shop to make a bra donation are wanting to make a difference and will often donate money to the cause as well.

A chance meeting with a bra fitting expert revealed that many women buy bras without trying them on, and Fiona says this fits with women donating multiple unworn bras at a time. The fitting expert also told her most women have never had a bra fitting and wear the wrong size.

The luxury of the $5 bra bin is unheard of in many Pacific Islands, with the Project Uplift website saying the cost of a bra puts it in the luxury goods category. It also says women are preferring to spend their money on food for their family and education for their children, with the price of a bra being disproportionately higher than in New Zealand.

A shortage in supply of fit-for-purpose bras is another factor leading to demand for donated bras from New Zealand.

The Project Uplift website says bras tend to be imported from Asia, where women are smaller, and so don't fit the locals. Bras sold in the Pacific Islands are often manufactured from fabric that sweats and quickly deteriorates, unlike New Zealand-made bras that are comfortable and sturdy.

The effect of life without a bra is described in Project Uplift.

"Women appreciate the common dignity of a bra for business or social occasions.

"Bras control breast swing when women bend to garden or cook at ground level. In humid climates, rashes, fungal infections and abscesses occur between the breast and the chest wall and bras help by allowing air circulation.

"Nursing mums everywhere leak and bras allow the dignity of a dry shirt and the comfort of support. A thrush rash on a mother's skin may spread to her baby's mouth, and then back into the breast itself.

"A mastectomy bra offers privacy about the problem.

"The list goes on and if you are a woman, you will definitely know that a bra gives you confidence and comfort."

The distribution within the Pacific is up to the receiving organisation, and Soroptimists International waits for a request from a specific group before supplying a bra shipment.