Beyond Bras: Simple Made ExtraOrdinary

Last month we announced our decision to move beyond bras. We understand that this might appear as a significant change for our dedicated supporters and followers. For over a decade one of our most prominent and successful initiatives, and arguably the avenue by which most people came to know Free The Girls, has been our bra program.

But we are first and foremost a counter-trafficking organization committed to providing reintegration services for survivors. And that hasn’t changed, it’s only grown (thanks to your support and generosity!)

So yes, while the way we provide economic empowerment is evolving, we want to reassure you that who we are hasn’t changed at all.

We launched from the idea that something simple could become extraordinary. That a bra sitting unworn in the bottom of your drawer or tucked away in the back of your closet could become a lifeline for a survivor. A simple donation of a bra could become a livable wage - a safe, dignified way for a survivor to meet her basic needs while healing from the trauma of her past. And what we saw was exactly that.

Your seemingly simple gestures yielded extraordinary results.

What began as a small garage filled with bras soon burgeoned into a warehouse brimming with inventory, extending across multiple countries, where survivor-owned bra businesses thrived. Extraordinary.

What started as a few individuals, a couple of churches, MOPS groups, and local businesses evolved into a captivating CNN documentary and then blossomed into incredible partnerships with compassionate and generous brands like Aerie, Hanes, AdoreMe, Harper Wilde, Title Nine, Kindred Bravely, LR International, One Republic, and their foundation, The Good Life, as well as the charitable outreach force of BTS, One in an Army. Extraordinary.

From the seed of a simple bra program, we grew our economic empowerment initiative to encompass job skills training, education reimbursement, matching grants, a women's health initiative, and the expansion of these vital services. Extraordinary.

From a single country with a handful of women in our program to 6 countries and counting. Extraordinary.

We've successfully launched 102 micro-enterprises, and countless survivors have secured dignified jobs, choosing job skills training over entrepreneurship. Notably, 100% of the children of women in our program are in school, their education funded by their mothers with support from FTG as needed. An impressive 83% of our graduates have invested in land or built homes using the funds earned from their businesses or through matching grants, ensuring a safe and secure place to rest their heads at night.

The magnitude of this impact is immeasurable and can’t be overstated. And it all started with a bra. Something so simple. Extraordinary.

And we want to celebrate that. And honor that. Your donated bras are the reason we can now extend our focus beyond bras and offer more comprehensive support to survivors. That, my friends, is nothing short of extraordinary.

So yeah, this may seem like a big shift. But it’s rather simple. In response to feedback from survivors and the evolving economic landscape, we are ready to adapt. We no longer rely on bras to sustain our economic empowerment program. With your support, this simple shift can become extraordinary, creating more opportunities for survivors around the globe.

Together, we can prove that something simple can still be extraordinary.