Raise The Bra campaign, an initiative that raises awareness for underprivileged women is back this month.
Founded by celebrity plastic surgeon Dr Deon Weyers, Raise The Bra collects bras that are still in good condition and donates them to women and high school girls who are in need.
At first, the campaign was limited to Weyers’ patients (who were the only donors) but thanks to the high demand and the support from all walks of life, it is now a national campaign.
Anyone who wishes to donate can leave their previously loved bras at a selection of Cure Day Hospitals all around South Africa.
“What started as a campaign for my patients in Johannesburg has snowballed into a national drive. This has become one of the highlights not only of my career but also a very rewarding aspect of my life personally,” says Weyers.
“The concept was simple: many of my patients undergo breast enlargements or breast reductions. After those surgeries, they no longer have a need for their bras. Instead of the underwear ending up in the back of their cupboards, we wanted to give the bras to the many women in South Africa who cannot afford them.”
After the donors leave their bras at Weyers’ practice at Life Hospital, Fourways, Zabra, an international volunteer network working with organisations looking after women in their care, distributes the bras to women who need them.
This year, Raise The Bra extended its collection points across a national network to help manage the generous support from women.
The hospitals with Raise The Bra drop-off points are: Cure Day Hospitals in Fourways, Midstreams, East London, Bloemfontein, Paarl, Somerset West, Belville, Medkin (Pretoria), Erasmuskloof and Wilgeheuwel .