This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
I don’t know about you but we all have so much stuff filling our drawers, bathroom cabinets, bedside tables etc. However there are so many women, both here in the UK and further away, who do not take such everyday necessities as underwear or make-up for granted.
The idea of getting rid of things that aren’t useful and don’t “spark joy” is trendy at the moment inspired by Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
Typically, you’re meant to get rid of clutter and clothing you no longer love, but we would argue this extends to your beauty products as well. It’s a good idea to get rid of the powders and lotions and potions and soaps and freebies you’ve collected over the months that you’ll never, ever use at least once a year.
And here is what to do with it.
GIVE AND MAKE-UP
Give and Makeup is a non-profit initiative whose sole purpose is to get everyday essentials into the hands of women and children who need them the most.
They currently support Refuge and Women’s Aid in the London and Cardiff areas. They started in October 2010 and run on an outreach basis.
- Each week two women in the United Kingdom are murdered by a partner or ex-partner.
- One woman in four experiences domestic violence in their lifetime.
- The average woman experiences domestic violence 35 times before she calls the police.
What can you do?
Clothing. Please ensure clothing is clean and nearly new. They have had some deliveries lately of really old underwear that was also unwashed. If you wouldn’t give it to your best friend, please don’t send it to Give and Make up. These women need our support and respect, not dirty leftovers that aren’t fit for purpose.
- underwear – new/nearly new please – and most definitely cleaned
- bras – see above
- vests (for the children)
- pyjamas
- trousers
- skirts
- tights
- socks
- shoes
- coats
- ANYTHING
Toiletries:
- toothbrushes
- toothpaste
- nappies
- tampons
- sanitary towels
- baby bathing products
- shower gel
- deodorant
- body lotion
- makeup – all forms of makeup (no nail polish please)
Whilst they accept everything second hand or new (with the exception of lip glosses and mascara), please do not send really old makeup, or lipsticks that are pretty much used up. If you would be embarrassed to give it to a friend, please do not send it to these women.
Please send to:
Give and MakeUp, Escentual.com, Neptune Point, Unit 1, Vanguard Way, Cardiff CF24 5PG
Make sure that it is in a parcel that can be carried by one person. Also that there are no postage charges to be paid at their end.
There are other ways to donate. For example read this article in The Guardian about The Beauty Banks founded by Sali Hughes and Jo Jones. It was the last line of the article that really hit home to me:
Recently, one schoolchild wrote to thank us for a tube of shower gel, saying, “Thank you so much for making me feel clean and special.” But the dignity of cleanliness shouldn’t be special; a shower shouldn’t be a luxury, but a basic human right.
Sali Hughes
SMALLS FOR ALL
Smalls for All® is a Scottish charity which collects and distributes underwear to help women and children in Africa and the UK.
In Africa, we help those living in orphanages, slums, IDP (internally displaced persons) camps and schools, as well as those in hospitals suffering from medical conditions like obstetric fistula.
While people living in Western Society tend to have easy access to underwear and take it for granted, in many more remote or poorer parts of Africa, that’s far from the case. Underwear is a luxury that isn’t easily available and, if it is, many people just can’t afford.
Giving pants and bras may seem like a small thing, but it can make a life-changing difference. For example, having pants can help teenage girls complete their education without having to miss school each month during their period.
The Power of Pants
This is the story from Paul McNeil that works for Freedom from Fistula Foundation and Kenya Children’s Homes. Both charities work with Smalls for All®.
“Many people might think, ‘What’s the big deal with sending underwear to Africa?’ However, I can personally attest to the power of pants!” says Paul.
“We see many women and children who literally come to us with nothing. Many of the fistula patients we treat come to us wearing clothes that we have to burn because they’re so filthy. These are women who, through no fault of their own, have experienced prolonged labour, lost their babies as a result of this, and then found themselves incontinent – sometimes through both bladder and bowel (urine and faeces).
“They’ve had to discard much if not all of their own underwear because of the damage caused by this incontinence, and are often using matted rags in instead. The fortunate few who still have ‘underwear’, have to give it up when we bring them into our hospitals due to its unhygienic condition. So, when they’ve gone through successful surgical repair for their fistula, there’s nothing better than being able to give that woman a full set of clothing to go home in – which has to include some new underwear. Seeing their face light up, not only because they’re dry again but because they have clothing that helps to make them feel like a human, is a joyful sight.
“The impact of providing underwear is far greater than just handing over something that we very much take for granted.
“In a similar way, distributing kids’ underwear to our orphaned boys and girls is always a fun activity. The kids love to be able to pick their favourite colours. You’d be surprised quite how proud a 5-year-old boy can be of his new spider-man pants!
“The long relationship we’ve had with Smalls for All®, has seen us distribute more than 180,000 items of underwear, which is a phenomenal level of support. We absolutely value and rely on the fantastic work done by Maria and all the volunteers and donors that make Smalls so successful.
“We’ll always have a need for underwear across our sites in Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Madagascar. And due to the generosity of Smalls and their donors, we sincerely hope we’ll continue to have a ‘pipeline of pants’.”
So say ‘Pants to Poverty’.