July 6, 2016
Late last month a group of Wedaudau people from the northern coast of Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea had an unexpected encounter with the South Burnett.
The group had made an arduous trek through steamy jungles and over mountains to get to Aloatau, the capital of Milne Bay Province in the south-east of PNG.
They were making a rare visit to the capital for a two week church camp.
But the women in the group were very surprised – and then delighted – when they were presented with a very special gift on arrival: a large box of bras donated by South Burnett women.
The box was the last of four similar boxes that had been shipped to Milne Bay in May this year.
All up, the boxes held 1000 second-hand bras that had been donated by South Burnett women after Nanango’s Jenny Morgan put out a call for help in January this year.
While on holiday in Papua New Guinea with her husband Rod, Jenny had learned that bras were regarded as a luxury item by most PNG villagers.
They were either unobtainable, unaffordable or far too small, with the result most women weren’t able to get them.
“We don’t realise how lucky we are in Australia,” Jenny said.
“No woman should ever be forced to see a bra as a luxury.”
So she started a bra drive earlier this year when she got back home, and managed to collect an astonishing 1000 bras in a little more than ten weeks.
The bras were air-freighted to Milne Bay in May, thanks to Toogoolawah pilot Gary Clifford who took them there for free, and distributed to villagers around the district after they arrived by Jenny’s friend, Gillian Torie.
This week Gillian sent a photo of the Wedaudau women with their South Burnett bra box, along with a very big “thank you!” to everyone in the region who’d helped with the bra drive.
“Thank you so much once again for doing this – the ladies we have given boxes to are so happy for such a gift,” Gillian said.
Now Jenny wants to send another shipment, so she’s putting out another call for second-hand bras.
As before, bras – especially larger sizes – can be left at Morgan’s Health Solutions in Nanango, Nanango Real Estate, Sasswear in Kingaroy Shoppingworld, Nanango RSL Sub-Branch, the Bunya Nut Cafe in Blackbutt, Goomeri Information Centre, and the Murgon Services Club.
Bras can also be mailed directly to Jenny at PO Box 2, Nanango, 4615.
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