"Once again, the women say a HUGE THANK YOU!!!" reports Photojournalist, Lee Karen Stow.

Lee has just returned from several weeks in Freetown where she has been living with the families as part of an Arts Council Project.

In a telephone call to me she told me of the pride and pleasure she felt as the women who had received the bras kept thanking her.  She reported that as she went around Freetown, the women would lift their tops and yell "thank you" at her!  Who could imagine how much impact something so simple could achieve.  In fact, one lady was delighted that her bra was from M&S.

Lee's picture shows Esther and her daughter showing one of the bras that Esther received during Lee's last visit.  Travelling by air Lee took as many of the extras as she could including compact cameras, soaps, female toiletries etc, but couldn't manage ALL the bras!!  There is so much that she would like to get out to Freetown and is asking if anyone would like to co-ordinate this for her.  As a self employed freelance journalist she just does not have time to do this as well as concentrate on her already heavy commitments with the women of Freetown.  To contact Lee please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Rotarians from District 1270 will remember the sudden request for bras to be collected and brought to conference.  In fact some clubs were convinced it was a "wind up." However, despite that the bras arrived in their hundreds and in fact, we still arriving for the next month preceding the departure of the Freedom Trail.  In fact, so many were collected that there are some to go out in a special container delivery.

The need for bras which are not only scarce but cost on average a month's wages was identified by Lee when she was started the Wilberforce Women project as part of the 2007 Wilberforce Celebrations.