Overall total is 276,535 (and we are still counting)
Smalls for All celebrated being 6 years old this month (our charity status was granted in August 2010) and whilst it’s been an amazing 6 years the last year in particular has been incredible. During the first 5 years we collected around 100,000 pants and bras, but in the last year alone we collected nearly 200,000! Thank you to everyone who has donated over the last 6 years.
Just a wee reminder – we now only collect new or gently worn bras that we can recycle directly by giving them to women in Africa. We no longer collect well worn bras. And as always, please make sure that all pants you donate are new and unworn!
One of the things I’ve been working on over the summer is how we increase our distribution network to get your donations safely and securely to more of the women and children in Africa who desperately need them the most. I’m making good progress and I’m hoping we can hit the 200,000 distributed by the end of the year!
I’m off to Lusaka in Zambia with Mission Direct early in September and I will be taking as much underwear in my luggage allowance as the airline will allow! While I am there Mission Direct will be completing the build of a new centre for Vision of Hope, an organisation which rescues girls from the streets and from difficult home situations. Vision of Hope has been helping girls leave street life behind since 2009, giving them a safe place to stay, a place in school and the prospect of a brighter future. I’m excited to be attending their official opening ceremony and providing the girls they are supporting with underwear. I will report back next month!