The #1000ECDFacemasks campaign, run by the Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE) division in partnership with Facemasks4Makana, exceeded the 1000 mark. 14 individuals in Makana heeded the call and contributed 1 064 facemasks to the initiative.
“We are all so excited and want to thank the extra ordinary human beings who got behind the project but also to Sue Powers, Masks 4 Makhanda who partnered with us to realise our goal. We may have our challenges but citizenship in this town is rock solid,” said Diana Hornby, Director at RUCE.
The campaign started in June where Makana residents were urged to help make 1000 masks for children aged two to six years old as many already available masks are mostly suitable for adults.
To distribute the masks, RUCE will work with their ECD partners’ site managers and the local ECD forum who will, in turn, hand out packs to families. A pack will include a story about COVID-19 (how it’s spread, how to prevent spread etc), a child mask, some information on data-free educational resources and a story in their mother tongue.
In Makhanda alone, there are about 78 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres that fall outside the parameters of the formal education system who therefore won’t receive Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from the government.