About 2 weeks ago Asha’s Refuge initiated a project to help refugee clients participate in giving back during the current medical crisis our world is facing. We wanted to engage our clients to keep them busy and focused thinking on what they could creatively do to help others during this rather strange time of great need. We do not want them all bound up in fear but rather positively active while at home with their families.

Many of our clients have skills and talents that people do not always get to see. One family that has a lot of sewing talent quickly grabbed hold of our request for masks to be sewn for nurses in need. The idea for the masks started when we saw a post from a nurse friend who didn’t have a mask for her protection at work and expressed the shortage in the hospitals. One of our volunteers found the pattern and passed it to us. The production started with Nadine’s family’s help, and first with Nadine taking on the challenge to learn to make them. Her skilled mom helped her.

Nadine is now teaching others in the community to help her make them from their own homes. She is using her phone to make videos, text messages and phone calls to teach them what to do. (Of course these are refugee friends who also already have some sewing skills)! A generous donor gave us two more sewing machines to help increase the production of the masks. So far most of the fabric is uniquely African style with bright colors and interesting patterns. Asha’s is eager to find fabric that might appeal to children (such as baby animals) so that children who may have to wear a mask might feel a little more comfortable about it. It costs $40 per 6 yards of African fabric but any fabric would really do. Our refugee families and Asha’s staff are also praying over the masks before they go out. We are trusting God to protect our medical teams and our families.

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Notice: Please understand the idea is to REDUCE the spread… the masks we are making are NOT N95 OR surgical masks recommended by the CDC as those are in great shortage and have to be manufactured specially. Many nurses are choosing to wear these over their paper masks if they can find the paper mask! This is not a preventative measure or anything to “cure” any virus or anything. It is only an effort to do our part in raising awareness and try to at least reduce the spread.

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Volunteers and supporters are being very generous to help us with the tools and materials needed to make this project happen. While our production may be picking up in speed a little, we are asking for those wanting a mask, to please be patient with us. We realize people need them quickly, but are working as fast as we can with refugee families truly open hearted to try and help as they can. Message us at deborah@ashasrefuge.org if you are in need of a mask. Again, please understand we are a slow production team right now and are still working hard to make this all happen for many. There is no cost to nurses, doctor or medical teams and they are first to be served. All others, please simply donate to through our website at http://www.ashasrefuge.org after letting us know that you want one. This will help us with the cost of supplies and will also help us to help more families like Nadine’s family.