Donate a Bra | Free The Girls

You probably have figured it out by now that I'm pretty passionate when it comes to advocating for underprivileged women. So when Dave shared the vision behind Free the Girls at church this past Sunday, I wanted to find out even more about the non-profit, and how this organization has turned the second hand clothing market in Mozambique, namely reselling bras, into a business endeavor that empowers women coming from extremely abusive situations and the world of sex trafficking. And after reading more, I knew I had to tell you about it. Not only is the non-proft giving job opportunities to women rescued from sex trafficking, but they are being sensitive to these woman who have been so taken advantage of, even worse than we can fathom, by having their work be mainly focused on a female market --selling bras-- with female mentors alongside them.

SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

Currently 27 million men, women and children are being held as slaves around the world— more today than in any other time in history. 80% of those slaves are women and girls. There are a number of amazing organizations that are helping to rescue these women out of a life of prostitution, but what happens after they are rescued? Many safe houses and aftercare facilities are doing great work in providing comprehensive rehabilitation and educational opportunities to survivors, but often their resources are limited.

OUR SOLUTION

By partnering with safe houses and after-care facilities, we provide an opportunity for women rescued from sex trafficking to earn a living selling second-hand clothing while going to school, getting healthy, and caring for their families.

WHY BRAS?

"Let’s face it, ladies: the back of your underwear drawer is most likely a graveyard of bras you don’t wear anymore or that never fit right in the first place...

GREAT INCOME

Second-hand clothing is a profitable market in many countries around the world. Bras are usually sought after items. Some of the girls in our program are making 3-5x the minimum wage in their community by selling bras!

FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE

Most of the women we work with were sold into prostitution as children, only 8-10 years old. Because their lives were stolen from them, they missed out on going to school and getting an education. Selling bras allows them to work as much or as little as their school schedule permits.

SUSTAINABLE MODEL

Once a program has been started with a safe house, it is designed to sustain itself. The women in our program receive their starting inventory as a donation, and are then able to buy additional inventory from Free The Girls for below wholesale value to help maintain their competitive edge in the marketplace. Revenue from inventory sales helps subsidize overseas program costs.

MINIMAL EFFECT ON LOCAL MARKETS

There is no doubt that second-hand clothing had an effect on local production of clothing in Africa in the past. However, researchers have shown that the current impact is far less than would be assumed.

...bras provide an opportunity for these women to work with other women, since they have a history of being abused and used by men."

So what about your bras? Do you have a few bras that just don't quite fit, or perhaps few too many? I know I have a bunch, and I plan to either take them to the local partner in Denver or mail them in so that I too can help these women, if even oceans apart. To find out where you can drop-off and donate bras >>>browse your city locations here. Or, mail them directly >>>mailing address and directions here.  You can even collect bras in your community >>>read how here. Also, stay connected with the FTG on twitter (@freethegirls) and Facebook.

*Information about Free the Girls provided by FTG Press Kit and freethegirls.org