FRIENDS of a young Catholic woman on mission at a hospital in Malawi that can’t regularly afford to purchase new face masks for its staff are preparing to send over a gift of 100 fabric face masks.
Catholic mum and Ignite Youth staff member Nattasha Mierendorf saw a Facebook post written by her friend Danielle Mourits, who is living with the Canossian Daughters of Charity in Mangochi, in the southern region of Malawi.
The Sisters run a community hospital but have been struggling to afford new face masks for their staff in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It means staff are re-using their single-use face masks more than once, sometimes for up to two weeks depending on its condition.
Mrs Mierendorf said after reading the post she immediately felt called to commit to sending 100 masks to the hospital.
Within a week Mrs Mierendorf had 30 masks from the Brisbane Canossian Sisters.
The mum of two is also planning to shake the dust off her sewing machine to make several more, with help from a stranger at Spotlight.
While purchasing fabric to make the masks, Mrs Mierendorf saw a mutual friend of a friend in the queue and asked what she was working on.
After explaining the 100 masks project, the mutual friend offered to purchase twice the amount of material for Mrs Mierendorf.
“I’m hoping to try and get to 100 before the end of September and send over a pack then,” Mrs Mierendorf said.
Mrs Mierendorf is also accepting donations to purchase a fabric mask.
Every $10 will go towards one mask, and any bonus donations after the 100 milestone will be sent to the hospital as a financial gift.
To donate or support the project, visit https://www.facebook.com/100masks.
