Bras don’t normally feature heavily on people’s packing lists when heading on a tropical holiday, but for a group of eight from Tamworth, they were the main item of clothing in their suitcases.

Nearly 700 bras were stuffed in among the usual holiday clothing of six adults and two children and delivered to the Port Vila Red Cross last month for the Uplift Project.

Most of the bras were collected by women in Bingara and Barraba and when others heard about the supportive initiative, piles of bras began arriving at The Northern Daily Leader and journalist Rebecca Belt’s home.

Many came from local sources and were hand-

delivered, but others were sent from interstate and Sydney as friends supported the cause.

Journalists Samantha Newsam and Ruth Caskey joined Rebecca in the trek to Port Vila, as did Mrs Belt’s parents Elaine and Mac Gracie, her husband Andrew Belt and her children Patrick and Gracie Belt.

Their suitcases were filled to overflowing with the undergarments – and they all avoided excess luggage fees.

One of Patrick’s friends could not believe he would take “other people’s underwear on holidays”.

The Vanuatu Red Cross collects the bras at its headquarters in Port Vila and distributes them throughout the islands of Vanuatu.

Vanuatu Red Cross acting chief executive officer  Augustin Gara thanked the people of the New England and beyond for their generosity.

Vanuatu Red Cross chief Jacqueline de Gaillande said bras of all sizes were needed for the different programs they ran.

“We are looking for bras starting 10A and over for our program for youth, otherwise so many mamas are also looking for bras,” she said.

“We are keeping the little size for the young girls of the Empowering Vanua Malagwelo Project.”

For this project, the charity is also looking for underwear for young girls aged 13 to 18.

North West residents will aid in other initiatives the Red Cross runs in Vanuatu.

This will include donating children’s, babies’ and newborns’ clothes, which Red Cross staff members distribute at Vila Central Hospital during their visits to the children’s ward.

During their visit to Vanuatu, the Tamworth group, again supported by friends and family, distributed stationery and soccer balls to the Teouma Village Kindergarten.

The small school operates from three rooms with walls made from woven banana leaves. 

It has three classes of students aged from three to 14 years – two French classes and one English.

They also delivered stationery to the Eton Village Kindergarten, which has about 200 students.