At a time when making masks and making them available to the underprivileged constitute an act of service, a volunteering group called DRV - India (Disaster Response Volunteers) is promoting its own version of a mask, and the exercise comes paired with a crowd-funding model.
It is a loosely-structured group of youngsters, said to have come into existence during the 2018 Kerala floods, with its bond getting strengthened later during the Gaja cyclone that ravaged parts of coastal Tamil Nadu. The group essentially operates through a Facebook page, and is held together by the spirit of volunteering.
“It is a three-layer mask in which a high density polyethylene (HDPE) material is sandwiched between two layers of cotton. The mask can be washed and reused. When HDPE material is not available, nylon can be used to make masks that are of high quality and effective in protecting the wearer against pathogens and at the same time, are affordable, is at the root of the initiative,” says Ambattur resident A.R. Vinoth Kumar (24), who has a postgraduate degree in nanotechnology to his name.
Inclusivity is among the highlights of the project: while all the four paid workers tasked with making the masks are economically underprivileged, two of them are differently-abled. Two of them are from Tirupattur District; and the other two are from Chennai.
The youngsters have named their mask “Hedge”, they explain, to communicate the idea of protection. There is also a variant -- Hedge Plus — which is said to have an additional protective layer, and is recommended for use by conservancy workers, police and other front-line workers.
“As this is a no-profit-no-loss initiative, we are making these masks through a crowd-funding drive. The production cost, which includes purchase of raw materials and payment to tailors, cost comes to ₹80 apiece. Charity organisations that work for the welfare of the underprivileged can buy these masks,” says Vinoth.
On May 1, DRV - India donated 100 masks to Tirupattur District Collector M.P. Sivan Arul which was distributed to doctors and police.
“A website for DRV - India is under construction. Once it is ready, the steps involved in making this mask will be presented through a demo video. The demonstration includes information about the necessary materials and the stitching methods employed. The steps are quite simple. Anybody who has a sewing machine can make these masks. HDPE material is easily available,” says Vinoth.
In 2019, the group reportedly volunteered for relief work in Bihar and Assam when they were devastated by floods and in Fani-hit Odisha. The group is said to be having pan-India presence. Details about the mask-making project are available at the group Facebook page.
Youngsters with ideas to tackle the challenges of COVID - 19 can get in touch with the group via 96001 15429.
