Coronavirus: EU Ghana, Fashion Connect to distribute facemasks to vulnerable communities

The European Union (EU) Delegation to Ghana in partnership with Fashion Connect Africa, has donated 10,000 reusable facemasks to four non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to be distributed to vulnerable individuals and communities.

The masks were to make it possible for people who could not afford them adhere to the safety protocols of COVID-19 pandemic.

The NGOs are Act4Change, Ink Ghana, Galaxy Fun Club Tema and Plastic Punch.

The beneficiary communities include Jamestown, Usher Town, Mamobi, Nima, Tema and Dansoman.

Madam Diana Acconcia, the Head of the EU Delegation to Ghana, said the Delegation and its partners decided to distribute standardised reusable face masks because they provided a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to protect people against COVID-19.

Every day, billions of facemasks were discarded in many public places without being recycled, causing littering problems on land and sea, she said, and explained that the situation could be controlled with reusable masks.

Madam Acconcia said the EU solidarity between the different countries of Europe and countries outside Europe, like Ghana remained a priority and that EU was going to embark on a new project to provide a greener and healthier environment in schools.

The project would combine measures to fight COVID-19, like awareness campaigns, art competition and donation of handwashing stations.

It will also donate waste and composting bins and create awareness on the segregation of waste, she said.

Madam Victoria Michaels, Chief Inspiration Officer, Fashion Connect Africa, said her company’s ‘One Million Masks Initiative’ launched on Wednesday September 23, 2020, materialised after the EU Delegation ordered 10,000 facemasks from their Garment Factory as part of their efforts to help curb the spread of the pandemic.

She said the masks were 100 per cent cotton lined, reusable, Food and Drugs Authority approved and branded in accordance with the EU Colour specifications.

The EU Delegation had once again proven that Fashion Connect Africa could count on their support and meaningful partnership, she said.

“This and many other previous synergies between us have established the EU delegation as a true friend of Ghana. Your continuous support for this project will help us reach thousands of Ghanaians who cannot afford a nose mask in deprived communities,” she added.

Mr Richmond Kennedy Quarcoo, the Executive Director of Plastic Punch, one of the volunteering NGOs, said the Plastic Punch, trying to come up with sustainable waste management solutions during the outbreak of the COVID-19, realised that sanitation health workers had not been given so much recognition for their work considering the fact that they were very exposed to the virus by picking up trash.

He said his outfit, therefore, came up with a project tagged the, “Punch Corona Campaign” to promote the protection of vulnerable people, including sanitation health workers.

Mr Quarcoo said the NGO would, therefore, distribute the donated face masks to sanitation health workers, and expressed gratitude to the EU and the Fashion Connect Africa for the support.

He encouraged the public to use more of reusable facemasks, saying it saved more than 50 disposable masks, which could end up indiscriminately in the environment.