Surat couple stitches & distributes free masks for needy from leftover fabrics amid COVID

As wearing a mask has become mandatory across the country to curb the spread of COVID-19, many daily wage labourers cannot afford this necessity as their incomes have been adversely affected due to the COVID-19 lockdown. In order to help such people, especially underprivileged children, a Surat-based couple started stitching four-layered masks from leftover fabrics discarded by tailors, and distributing them for free.

Hanuman Prajapat and his wife Ratan Ben so far have stitched and distributed around 6,000 face masks in and around Surat in the last four months.

Speaking to ANI, Prajapat said after distributing over 6,000 face masks to the needy they have now collaborated with Nishkam Karm Seva Foundation that works in rural areas of Rajasthan. The couple now makes face masks for them.

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"I collect leftover fabrics from the tailoring shops in the city, use them to make face masks, and give it to the people who can't afford them. In the last four months, I along with my wife have stitched and distributed around 6,000 face masks in the city," he said.

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Prajapat further informed that recently he was approached by a non-profit organisation called Nishkam Karm Seva Foundation that works in rural Rajasthan to make masks for them. He added that the organisation provides him with the cost of thread and elastic for the mask.

"After hearing about my work, Nishkam Karm Seva Foundation approached me, and now I'm making masks for them to distribute in rural areas of Rajasthan. The organisation is providing me cost of thread and elastic for the mask," he said.

Vijay Bhadviya, a member of the Nishkam Karm Seva Foundation said when the foundation learned about Hanuman's work they immediately approached him. Hanuman is working for 'no profit- no loss' with the foundation and with his help we have distributed three to four thousand masks to rural areas of Rajasthan, Bhadviya said. Hanuman has received another order for more than five thousand masks from the foundation.

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COVID-19 situation in Surat

Meanwhile, the Surat district in Gujarat on Wednesday reported 280 new COVID-19 cases. This is the highest single-day spike, taking the COVID tally to 30,156 with three more fatalities, and the toll rose to 963 in the district, the state health department said. 

With 292 patients getting discharged in the day the recoveries outnumbered new cases. The municipal corporation said so far 20,656 patients have been discharged in Surat city, with a recovery rate of 90.9 percent. A total 29,583 people are quarantined in the city, the official said. Furthermore, three of 406 tailors and laundry shop-owners were found to be infected during testing in the day, the civic body informed. 

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(With inputs from agencies)