Home > Talking Pants > Talking Pants – December 2019

Total underwear collected is 1,228,411

We’ve now opened 2,912 of the parcels we received in October, so just 2,370 to go. We received a smaller amount – 4,136 – in November, so hopefully this will help us catch up!

We end the year with 1,194,011 pants and bras being delivered to women and children in various parts of Africa since Smalls started in 2010, and we also made our first donation in the UK. Your donations have gone to Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zanzibar. It goes without saying that we’re indebted to everyone who donates underwear or money to support our work. Your kindness and generosity is hugely appreciated.

Since the last Talking Pants, we’ve given 82,190 pairs of pants and bras to 5 organisations.
Our thanks to:

  • Tina Leslie of Freedom4Girls, a period poverty charity working in Kenya and Uganda. Tina is organising 430 pairs of pants to be given to girls they’re supporting with hygiene kits.
  • Vicki Beach of Friends of St Michaels for organising 460 pairs of pants to be taken to St Michael’s Primary School, Busembatia, Uganda.
  • Priscilla Chishala of Noah Mapola Community Centre in Zambia for organising the distribution of 150 bras and 150 pairs of pants.
  • Adrian Brewer of Walk for Water for organising 1,000 pairs of pants to be taken to Homa Bay in Kenya where they have a sanitary pad project.
  • And last but not least, our friends at NPAC for collecting 80,000 new pants and new and gently worn bras. These will be stored in Mansfield and will make their way to Africa over the next 2-3 months.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who give up their time up to make sure Smalls runs as smoothly as possible. From making sure all the queries are replied to on social media, to dealing with all the donations, loading lorries with underwear and all the other things that go on behind the scenes to make sure your donations get to those in need, the Smalls team is made up of incredibly dedicated and hard-working folk that I’m so fortunate to be able to work with.

Thank you all for making 2019 a pantastic year. With your continued support, and the support of the people we work with to make sure we get your donations to those in need, I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do in 2020.

I wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas, and best wishes for 2020.

Maria

P.S. A little reminder that the address for donations has changed. The address for all underwear donations now is Five Sisters Business Park, Westwood, West Calder EH55 8PN. Don’t worry if you’ve sent something to 108 Buchanan Crescent as it will still get to us, but going forward please use the Five Sisters Business Park address.