Garment manufacturers in joint drive to give all Rwandans access to free facemasks

By The Inspirer.

Local garment manufacturers have kick-started a joint drive to give all Rwandans, especially the vulnerable, access to free facemasks.

The campaign, dubbed ‘Masks for all’ aims to protect Rwandans against the further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic by having both public and private entities and individuals pledging masks that will be given to the vulnerable poor countrywide.

Beneficiaries will be households that belong in the Ubudehe one and two categories that cannot afford to buy masks.

Speaking on the campaign, Swaib Munyawera, the Managing Director of Mask Investment Limited and coordinator of the campaign said:

“The COVID-19 pandemic calls for a collective effort to support the existing measures by the Government in preventing the further spread of the novel virus. Despite the measures already in place, we noted that a big part of the population cannot afford to buy facemasks regularly. As a result, many end up sharing or re-using unclean masks, which puts them at risk of contracting the virus. Through this campaign, we hope to address this challenge by bringing together all private and public sector stakeholders to contribute towards purchasing barrier facemasks and distributing them to the poor.”

Pledged masks will be delivered to district Sector offices where community health workers will do free door to door distribution to the beneficiaries.