Local group aims to distribute masks globally

A group of five Trinidadians has set a goal to distribute two million masks worldwide. The group will use charitable organisations as distribution channels and hopes to achieve this goal within a six-month period.

Creative director and concept developer of the NGO, Masks to the World, Joanne Phillips told Newsday its members had been searching for some way to assist people during the covid19 pandemic. Initially, she, Kern Pierre, Stefan Evans, Noel Santos and Kaleen Santos began by distributing hampers but soon felt more could be done.

“What we recognised, even in TT and throughout the world, having running water, clean water, hand sanitisers could be a challenge for some people. It may even be described as a luxury item, if you can live in a house and have enough room to social distance. We decided we will do masks.” The organisation wants to ensure that each person in the households they reach has at least two masks. She said the initiative has so far been funded through donations and pledges.

The Barataria-based group was launched on social media and has already distributed some of the 800 masks made so far to the Lady Hochoy Home, in Cocorite, and to contestants in the TT Miss World 2020 pageant.

Phillips said Masks to the World is working with online advertiser Belly Biting, whereby operators of charitable organisations will be able to go online and choose what they wish to donate from the five designs. She said the group will also contact MPs and other organisations such as the regional corporations to identify people in need.

“Of course charity begins at home and we are going to start at home and then go outwards. What we have started to do is contact the different charitable groups like in Haiti, reach out to them online so we will actually get the masks to them and then they can distribute the masks as they see fit.”

She said the group decided to give masks globally because there are people in other countries who are unable to do better for themselves. They hope to distribute masks in Venezuela, India, Africa and Haiti and anywhere there are people in need of them.

The masks are made for “comfort and the resilience of the fabric,” from 100 per cent cotton and are layered, double-sided and hence “like two masks in one.

“All of the masks are going to be two-coloured. So one side is going to be black and the other side green. Another side may be orange and another side burgundy,” Phillips said.

The initiative, she said, will also provide 400 temporary jobs and hopefully stimulate a cottage industry.

“We are actually going to hire 300 stitchers, 25 cutters, 25 printers and 50 (people) to package the masks. It is not going to be long-term jobs but it is 400 jobs being created.”

Masks to the World also makes masks for sale, and through the small profit it makes, hopes to also distribute 1,000 hampers at Christmas. It also wants to partner with other organisations to provide devices with local content to students throughout TT.

“We have reached out to certain organisations to place our masks on their site. We have not received confirmation as yet and we are still in that negotiation period, so I do not want to say who they are, but we have reached out to organisations to help us promote the sale of the masks,” she said.