More than 20,000 pre-loved bras have been collected through an initiative giving unwanted clothing a second life while supporting breast health screening for South African women.
Now in its third year, the ILoveBoobies Gently Used Bra Campaign began as a once-off suggestion from a supporter and has developed into an annual initiative combining women’s health, dignity and reuse.
The campaign encourages women to donate clean, gently used bras that might otherwise remain unused or eventually be discarded.
The bras are washed, sorted by size and repackaged before being distributed to women attending ILoveBoobies breast health screenings. Each woman receives two bras, described by the organisation as a “garment of dignity”.
The initiative supports ILoveBoobies’ broader work providing free clinical breast health examinations to South African women facing financial, geographic or social barriers to healthcare.
To date, the organisation has screened more than 16,700 women, with 925 women receiving early detection support that the organisation says has changed their lives.
Women requiring further investigation following an examination can access mammograms or ultrasounds through SCP Radiology, which provides the imaging services free of charge to patients referred by ILoveBoobies.
The bra collection campaign runs from Women’s Month in August until the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
Collection boxes have been placed at SCP Radiology branches across the Western Cape, allowing members of the public to contribute bras that remain in good condition.
Demand has grown as the number of redistribution points has increased, and ILoveBoobies is now appealing for additional donations as its stocks begin running low.
“It is something we never expected to grow to this extent,” said Philippa Brinkmann of ILoveBoobies.
“But as the number of our redistribution points has increased, we are actually starting to run low on bras. So, we are encouraging women to donate the bras they no longer use.”
This year, the initiative has also been extended to high school learners participating in ILoveBoobies’ early detection education programme at several Cape Town schools in collaboration with District 6 Clinic.
The campaign also provides a practical example of how reuse can support both environmental and social objectives. Instead of a wearable garment ending up in landfill, it can be redistributed to another woman while helping to reinforce conversations around breast health and early detection.
SCP Radiology’s involvement extends beyond collecting bras, with the organisation forming part of the referral pathway for women requiring further medical imaging.
“Breast health is about much more than what happens inside a mammography room,” said Madelein de Wet of SCP Radiology.
“Our partnership with ILoveBoobies allows us to be part of a support initiative for women at different points along that journey, from education and screening to providing the imaging they may need.”
De Wet said the bra campaign provides another practical way of supporting women.
“There is also a practical reminder behind every screening.”
Women screened by ILoveBoobies receive a pair of socks intended to remind them to regularly check their breasts, extending the early-detection message beyond the screening itself.
The organisation continues to emphasise that early detection can save lives and hopes the simplicity of the bra campaign will encourage more women to participate.
Donations can be made until the end of October at SCP Radiology collection points in Panorama, Louis Leipoldt, Durbanville, Cape Gate, Tygervalley Mammography Centre, Vredenburg, Malmesbury, Paarl and Worcester.
For women with a seldom-used bra sitting at the back of a cupboard, the campaign offers a straightforward opportunity to give it another purpose — and provide practical support to another woman.
