Kenya Mask Production Update
Following our newsletter last week, many of you asked about our mask production and distribution in Kenya, so here's an update!
We started production last week after sampling various designs, and have set an initial plan to produce and donate 15,000 masks. We are taking all precautions to maintain the health and safety of our team as they make these masks.
We are collaborating with Penda Health, a local healthcare provider that operates clinics in low income, high density communities in Nairobi to distribute the masks, and we made our first delivery today of 2,000 masks (Salome, Jane, Dorcas and Franklin from the Penda team are showing them off in the photo above!). The team at Penda will distribute the masks at their 13 clinics to patients and their non-medical staff. They will also distribute the masks to their partners in the public transport space who will manage distribution to drivers and passengers.
We are thrilled to be working with Penda and their broader network, and are confident that our masks will be distributed safely and effectively through their channels!
We are taking donations to help increase our production, so if you are interested in contributing, please respond to this email!
No Sewing Machine? No problem!
Our very wonderful Inja from our SF team helped us to make this video explaining how to make a mask at home if you don't have a sewing machine! Using Dee Dee's instructions from last week's newsletter, she made some modifications to show how you can sew this mask by hand.
As a reminder, these are NOT a substitute for PPE, but can help while hospitals struggle with shortages. To find out where to donate your masks, we suggest visiting findthemasks.com, which lists donation sites around the country. Additionally, we recommend contacting your local hospital to find out if they're accepting donations and have specific requests!
As always, please share your feedback and photos!
WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO // APRIL 2020 PLAYLIST
Ok, team, this one's for you. I know many of us have been experiencing feelings of loss--of affection, of privacy, of freedom, and just as importantly, of movement. While we can't throw our headphones in and hop on the train, we can still throw our headphones in! So don't forget: we're all in this together, and we'll be moving shortly❤️
