Overview

Working in partnership with communities, we want to make as many cloth masks locally as we can and distribute them for free to people who cannot afford them. This will help people to protect themselves. Cloth masks offer some protection – especially if everyone starts wearing them. In the African context, the local production of face masks also has an empowering effect on women who traditionally do most of the tailoring. We are providing jobs for tailors during a challenging time. We have already produced nearly 10,000 masks in Benin, DRC, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal. We want to produce thousands more free masks for our partners to distribute to people at risk. We need your help to give more free masks to people in Benin, DRC, Kenya and in Nigeria! Our masks They have two layers of fabric. Between the two layers, there is a filter pocket which can be filled with a filtering material with a flexible and adjustable nose bridge. The masks are washable and can be re-used. They are modelled on the following sewing pattern approved by a clinic in Canada (https://www.gfclinic.com/approved-pattern-info-for-homemade-masks/ ). In Kenya, the masks are made by the Kenyan fashion house #TengeVuli, and in Nigeria, Senegal and DRC by local tailors. In Benin, the Fondation Reine Hangbe does most of the tailoring before the masks are sewn by local tailors. This is a non-profit venture and your contributions will pay for the masks at cost, covering the material and the work of the tailors.