British-Pinoys make DIY face masks, shields for UK frontliners amid COVID-19 pandemic | ABS-CBN

ADVERTISEMENT

dpo-dps-seal
Welcome, Kapamilya! We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Continuing to use this site means you agree to our use of cookies. Tell me more!

Overseas

British-Pinoys make DIY face masks, shields for UK frontliners amid COVID-19 pandemic

British-Pinoys make DIY face masks, shields for UK frontliners amid COVID-19 pandemic

Rose Eclarinal,

ABS-CBN News

Clipboard

Gie Furagganan Thompson makes face masks which she gives out to frontliners in the UK. Contributed photo

LONDON - While it has become hard to keep up with statistics related to the COVID-19 pandemic and read and watch harrowing news on deaths, some Pinoys in the United Kingdom have decided to focus on acts of kindness to help out during the health and economic crisis.

Gie Furagganan Thompson, 59, has been living in the UK for over six years with her British husband. She is an active member of Filipino organizations, including a social media group of some 3,000 Filipinas married to Britons. When the pandemic started, she thought of sewing washable masks for herself and her husband and it expanded to her social network.

“On the 24th of March, I made masks for me and my husband and while I was making them, I thought of making more and give away to people who are in need. I then posted it on our group if anyone needs them, I received messages and that encouraged me to make more. Because of the number of members I thought of just asking for the postage and some of them gave more than the postage, which I used to purchase more elastic band online and that kept me going making more,” Thompson explained.

To date, she has already finished more than 300 washable masks which she has given to frontliners, like care home workers, nurses, police officers, and some of her neighbors. She irons the washable masks before packing them herself for posting.

“At the moment, I am asked to make 75 pieces for The Cambridge Constabulary frontline offices,” she added.

Thompson said she wants to contribute during the pandemic by using her skills.

“Because I am a seamstress I always buy fabric that I thought I can be used for something in the future, I managed to use some of them. I just ordered the elastic online which cost £38. I will continue making these as long as I can,” she explained.

“I want to serve those who are in need specially for frontliners who are my priority. Being a seamstress, I thought of making use of my sewing skills in a good way to help others. It may not be the proper material for a normal mask, but I am pretty sure that it will help as protection,” Thompson said.

FORMER HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO THE RESCUE

Former healthcare practitioners Valeri Valeriano and Christina Ong of Queen of Hearts Couture Cakes have made a life in the UK for 11 years now. The successful entrepreneurs were inspired by another cake artist friend in the Philippines, Amir Langbay, who has initiated a project to make DIY face shields for frontliners.

Motivated by the fruitful campaign, the duo wanted to replicate the project in the UK.

They were also moved when they learned about the condition of some of their friends in the UK frontline fighting the pandemic. They wanted to contribute in battling COVID-19.

“We have a nurse friend who works at one of the hospitals near where we live and she said they had to sanitize goggles before the end of their shift as they need to pass it on the their colleague due to lack of supply of PPE (personal protective equipment). That hospital has high mortality rate and sadly, our friend is now on home quarantine, highly suspected to be COVID-19 positive,” they said.

The cake entrepreneurs have funded some materials for PPEs themselves and approached companies for donations. They got favorable response, receiving foam sheets and ribbons that can make more than 2,500 face shields.

“We aim to distribute these to different NHS (National Health Service) hospitals. People have been contacting us as well, ordering for their friends or families who are in the NHS. We have also started a GoFundMe campaign for our #projectshieldUK to raise money to buy the rest of the materials. Some people are doing 3D printing but since we do not have that machine, we are DIY-ing. They give the same protection too and we can make a lot for a low cost,” they said.

ADVERTISEMENT

They believe the mask will substantially reduce the exposure to contamination.

“There is a tremendous lack of supply of PPE worldwide. We know that the government is doing something about it but it could take a while and so we thought, through our little initiative, we could help our frontliners quickly. They are risking their lives every day for us so we need to help them protect themselves too,” explained Ong.

They want to help and has this message to those who would like to support Pinoy nurses and NHS workers in general:

“We would like to ask for your help to raise money to buy the materials we need to make some face masks. If you have any materials or know a supplier who could maybe donate acetate sheets, double-sided tape, glue sticks, ribbons, please get in touch with us. You may also help by donating any amount at https://www.gofundme.com/project-face-shield-uk."

Like Thompson, Ong and Valeriano said they would continue to make as many face shields for the frontliners to help in their own our little way.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

It looks like you’re using an ad blocker

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.