This week nearly 1,000 bras were collected at Mercy Hospital for Women to support women in developing countries

Coordinated by Liz Thomas, Clinical Nurse Consultant at Mercy Hospital for Women, the donated bras will be sent to Project Uplift! - an ongoing program that distributes new and used bras globally.

“This project is extremely important," said Liz. "In so many regions, second hand bras are rarely available and a new bra can cost a woman more than half her weekly wage."

Liz commented that there are health issues associated with not wearing a bra as the heat and humidity in warm climates can create rashes and infections between the breast and the chest. "I saw the effects first hand when I lived and worked in Fiji. I was there for three years and witnessed poverty and the associated health issues."

In addition to collecting new and used bras, Liz and her team also asked for bathers and cloth nappies so that women and their babies could receive these much needed items.

When Liz became aware of Project Uplift! she saw the opportunity to continue the hospital’s commitment to women’s health. "The bra a woman receives through Project Uplift! may be the only one she ever owns."

Since 2005, Project Uplift! has sent 3330,000 bras to Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands and The Philippines. Project Uplift! ships to Red Cross and YWCA for distribution and only sends bras when they have requests from local women’s groups, recently providing bras for a women’s football team in the Pacific (Vanuatu). 

Mercy Hospital for Women’s Liz Thomas and Christine Murray prepare to send nearly 1,000 bras to Project Uplift!