Empowering Girls: A Bra Distribution Initiative in Uganda

In Uganda, access to education is a critical issue, especially for girls. Gender disparities, cultural norms, and economic challenges often prevent girls from attending school regularly, hindering their overall development and future prospects. 

Among the numerous obstacles they face, the lack of access to proper undergarments, particularly bras, poses a significant barrier to their education and self-esteem. Recognizing this challenge, we recently distributed bras to the High School girls, with the aim of empowering them to overcome social and physical limitations and pursue their dreams.

Identifying the need

In 2020, School for Life supporter, Georgia, visited Uganda on a Travel4Good trip. Georgia tells us while spending time with the young girls at School for Life in Uganda, “I notice the majority of girls did not have many of the necessities to live a full life. I noticed everyone was missing bras. Bras are vital in providing support to women not only during exercise but also in day-to-day activities to ensure there is limited strain on the back, neck, and shoulders.”

It can also be a source of embarrassment and insecurity for young girls making them feel compelled to stay at home or impacting their confidence and academic performance.

Upon returning back to Melbourne, Georgia felt responsible to help combat this problem. Remembering her time attending Melbourne Grammar School, the school often held drives to collect sanitary items for women in need. She thought this was a fabulous idea she could implement to collect bras for the girls at School for Life.

After discussing with Annabelle and the school's principal, Toni, she spoke in assembly to raise awareness for School for Life, the challenges she observed and to share the bra drive she was holding. Over the course of two weeks, she had collected over 100 bras to send off to Uganda.

This result was amazing; “I had never imagined my school community could be so generous to women they had not met. It illustrated to me the care, compassion, and passion the community had towards helping other women. Unfortunately, the drive was cut short due to COVID-19. Collecting and distributing bras was delayed when students were sent home from school, and there were no overseas flights."

Distribution of the bras in Uganda

In 2023, the bras were finally able to be distributed to students in Mbazzi High School

Students have said they feel much more confident wearing the bras, they don’t feel as self-aware and feel much more comfortable in their school uniform.

The bra distribution drive exemplified the power of recognizing and addressing the unique challenges faced by girls in accessing education. By providing bras, we’re not only supporting girls' physical health but also fostering their self-esteem, attendance, and overall well-being.

Empowering girls through such initiatives is a vital step toward achieving gender equality and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to fulfill their potential.

If you would like to find out how you can support our Girls’ Fund initiatives, visit our She Could Be website via the link here.

Success Stories
Goretti

Sweet and shy Goretti lives with her aunt, uncle and cousins in a small house in the local village. When Goretti was younger, she moved in with her aunt and uncle because her parents could no longer look after her. She was one of our first students at Katuuso Primary, starting in 2011 when she was just 4 years old. Now, Goretti is in Senior One at Mbazzi High School, and is relishing the honour of being a high school student in her community - something that is taken for granted in Australia, but in Uganda, represents freedom and opportunity. Goretti also loves attending School for Life because she hopes to one day become a pilot in Uganda - a dream which she knows can only be reached with the help of a good education.

Violah

Violah has been at School for Life since since she was six years old. Sadly, Violah has experienced hardship no child should ever deal with. Her Dad passed away three years ago, leaving her Mum without the financial means to support her family - so she left Violah and her siblings with their elderly grandmother. Every day, Violah has to wake up at 5am to fetch water, cook meals and make sure that her younger sisters are properly looked after. Then she walks half an hour to get to school. Despite this adversity, Violah has flourished at school and has made many friends. She loves that School for Life is "helping me to build a future". After finishing school, Violah hopes to become a teacher to help other children.

Umar

Umar is one of our best performing students at Mbazzi Riverside High School - but life has not always been easy for Umar. His father abandoned the family in 2015, leaving his mother to struggle to support her five children on her own. School for Life has provided Umar with opportunities that may never else have eventuated for him. Umar begun his journey with School for Life at Katuuso Primary School, where his academic ability was quickly revealed. Now, he is a thriving member of our Senior 1 class and a formidable wing on the football team. With a love for mathematics, Umar is set on studying electronic engineering after finishing his senior studies - a goal which he is the first to admit is now within reach thanks to the skills and resources provided to him by School for Life.

Rose Nambooze

Rose is a 32‐year‐old single mother of one. She started working with SFL in 2013, after taking part in our tailoring training program. Prior to working with us, she was unemployed and living in her father's home helping to care for her father, who had cataracts, and his farm.
Thanks to her full time employment, Rose was able to save enough money to pay for an eye operation and restore her father's sight, allowing him to return to work as a mechanic. Now, Rose has moved into her own home and no longer relies on her father financially. 

Joseph

Joseph is one of our Special Needs teachers at Katuuso. After surviving a severe case of malaria at age four, he was left permanently deaf. He was raised by his single mother and attended a nursery school for the handicapped and later transferred to a school for the Deaf in Kampala. He eventually mastered sign language and pursued a university degree in education. Joseph decided to become a teacher so that he could give the gift of education to others who are hearing impaired.

Teddy Namatovu

Teddy is a participant in the Kumi Tailoring Program and four of her five children attend Katuuso Primary School. She and her husband farm two acres of land, which supplies fluctuating revenue. Participation in the Kumi Tailoring Project has secured income to reliably pay for school fees, nutritious meals and renovations to the family home. Teddy has gained a great deal of self-esteem from her ability to support her family and she takes pride in independently financing the education of all five children. Teddy has also been working on her numeracy and administration skills. She was appointed Treasurer of the tailoring group and will be responsible for keeping records of their savings.

Flaviah Nassaazi

Flaviah Nassaazi started working at Katuuso Primary and Vocational School in 2011. Prior to cooking at the school, she and her husband were subsistence farmers. They worked tirelessly for small yields and minimal income to support their family. Flaviah's cooking job not only enables her to pay school fees for her children, but she has also invested in a local barbershop business. She is now passing her cooking skills onto her eldest son Frank, who has also joined the school's cooking staff. Flaviah and her husband attend the adult literacy classes offered weekly at the school. Her English and reading have improved immensely, as well as her confidence.

Rachel

In 2010, Rachel began as a cleaner at Katuuso Primary and Vocational School. She was working to save money to study to be a teacher at University. Thanks to Barrie and Simone Goldsmith, her dream of studying came true and she is now fully qualified.