Chennai Couple Is Stitching And Distributing Cloth Masks For Free To Those In Need

Right now, our only solaces are the heroes and good samaritans who are helping out during the rising COVID crisis in the country. Two of such heroes are Chandira and Karunakaran - a couple from Chennai who has been stitching cloth masks and distributing them for free.

According to an India Today report, they have been doing this silently since the pandemic began in India last year.

How the initiative began

When the pandemic started last year, there was an acute shortage of face masks around the country due to which the coronavirus spread among people easily. Since the commonly-sold N-95 and surgical masks were all out of stock back then, face masks came to the rescue.

Chandira is a tailor at an export company and it was then that she decided to invest her free time to stitch cloth masks. In her interview, she said, ¡°I saw a lot of small pieces of cloth lying around me. They all go to waste. I decided to put them to good use. I picked up the waste bits lying around and decided to stitch masks. These are not discarded because of bad quality or anything. These cloth pieces are called extras. So, why not turn them into a mask?¡±

India Today

She buys the elastic out of her own pocket. She said, ¡°I am spending whatever I have left for the masks. I buy the elastics for the masks and I always have a bunch of it in my bag."

Initially, she was distributing the masks to her neighbours and relatives. She added, ¡°When the demand for masks increased, I took the help of my husband Karunakaran. He is an auto driver and meets several people every day. With his help, I made sure the masks reached a wider section of people."

She spread out her initiative by telling her husband to hand them over to his customers and to people who are in his auto stand at Kodambakkam, Chennai.

Since a lot of people feel discomfort wearing surgical/N-95 masks, cloth masks are preferred.

Chandira said, ¡°I make sure the material I pick is 100 per cent cotton. Other materials such as polyester, linen are difficult to breathable in. After I gave out the masks for free, many approached me asking me to make it for their family.¡±

India Today

While doing all of this, Chandira is also managing a family of five - her husband, daughter, son and daughter-in-law. She said, ¡°They do not know how to stitch and hence I do it whenever I find the time. I spend 10 minutes every day for lunch and the remaining time, I stitch masks apart from handling work at the export company,¡± she said.

Karunakaran, her husband, said, ¡°We haven't kept count of how many masks we have given out so far. That could be more than 500 masks. Masks are important, and I make sure people who ride in my auto wear one. If they forget it, I will hand over a mask if I have a spare that my wife stitched. This is the least we can do for our society.¡±

India Today

According to the World Health Organisation, if you wear a cloth mask, it is extremely important to wear a surgical mask above or underneath it.