Underwear. Really? You’re collecting underwear? We know it may sound silly and unnecessary for some. But the answer is YES. Our Underwear Drive Project is a small annual drive to fill a very specific request.
Our first Underwear Drive: Underwear for Africa (in this case, specifically for Kenya) started in 2007 when we learned from GVN’s Kenyan coordinator that underwear can be a luxury if you’re a child living in an orphanage. Underwear is expensive, $12 for a pack of 5. That might not sound like much, but if you are a child living in an orphanage, underwear might not make to the front of the line once basic needs have been met. GVN asked, so we delivered. It was that simple.
So, we decided that Underwear would be on the list to bring to Kenya that year. Why? Because no one else was filling that need. In 2007 we asked again, and the need still existed. So, we collected and passed out over 1700 pairs to schools and orphanages outside the city of Nairobi. In 2008, we were asked to bring more to children in living in IDP camps in the Nairobi area. So in Jan of 2008, another 1000 pairs were distributed to children in two IDP camps. In April of 2008, Stepwise took more underwear to the Manna Rescue Home in Uganda. In April 2009, a Kenyan NGO, VICDA, asked us to collect for them, and over 2,000 pairs were passed out to kids in various IDP camps and orphanages. We were asked again in January 2010, and with the support of a new volunteer in Scotland, we were able to pass out over 3,500 pairs in one day! They asked. We delivered. Our desire is to fill the need for underwear in orphanages throughout Africa, whenever the need arises. The article, “‘Undignified’ underwear the only choice for Kenya’s poor, is just one proof that we need to do what we can.
Our goal is to collect new, unopened packages of children’s and young adults underwear (ages 3-18). We will then distribute them to orphanages and schools around the globe. We do not make special trips to deliver these items, so the drops times can be sporadic.
Last year, we learned about a children’s clinic in Guatemala needed new underwear for its patients. So we have expanded our Underwear Program to include an Underwear For Guatemala Program! 100 pairs were sent in December 2009. We’re excited that we could expand this project.
If you want to help, we want you to be armed with all the necessities to have your own drive.
Here’s how: Host your own Underwear Drive. You can do it in two ways. You can host your own underwear drive and/or you can collect money and we will purchase the items there. We will design a widget for each underwear drive project in the following weeks.
We have created a flyer for you to use as well. There is a DONATE HERE flyer to place on a donation container to put up in the lunchroom at work, or in the school office for a school drive. We have also supplied you with an email message to send to everyone in your address book. This will help you get the word out. There is a widget that you can put on your own personal blogs as well. Just copy and paste the code below and add it to your page.(coming soon)
You can also read all the posts on our Underwear Drive Program here.
You can see all our photos at Mothers Fighting For Others Flickr Account.
Email Message: Underwear Drive Email
Donate Here Flyer: Donate Here Flyer
Widget: Click Here To Get Your Underwear Drive Widget
If you choose to have your own drive and collect underwear, please send NEW and UNOPENED PACKAGES OF GIRLS AND BOYS ** size 3-18 underwear to:
MFFO: Underwear Drive
27943 Seco Canyon RD Suite 533
Santa Clarita, CA 91350
Total Count Collected to date: 7769
**Mothers Fighting For Others WILL NOT ACCEPT any used or lightly used undergarments. ONLY children appropriate undergarments will be accepted. “Adult style” undergarments will be rejected, even if new, and will be donated to local US charities. Thank you.