The bubbly, energetic English teacher, Diana de Sa, is making face masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Her enthusiasm is contagious and she has started a WhatsApp group for local volunteers who are making masks for people in our community. “With the current shortage of masks, people now need to be creative in producing their own, but not everyone has the facilities to do so,” she says.
She was inspired by the charity project called “10 million masks” that was started by Michelle Sohn and Saskia Kunneke “I heard about the project through a group chat on Whats-App. I actually contacted them to ask about the pattern but soon became the coordinator for Potchefstroom. I am proud to be part of this movement and work with people with such big hearts,” she says.
Diana is a TEFL instructor at North-West University and also works as a recruitment consultant for a Chinese company called ‘Laowai Here’. Before the lockdown, she traveled to China at least twice a year. She was moved by the amount of volunteer work her colleagues did in Chengdu after the outbreak of the virus.
The WhatsApp group currently consists of seven women in Potchefstroom, but a few more are helping out and add masks to the donation boxes. “There’s a coordinator in almost every city now, so I imagine the total number for the entire project must be quite impressive,” she remarks.
Diana is very practical and doesn’t consider herself an expert in needlework. “I’m certainly not a dressmaker, although I sometimes delude myself into thinking I’m one if I watch one too many ‘Project Runway’ episodes,” she laughs. There are two professional dressmakers in their group and Diana readily brags about their sewing skills.
Nothing stops this determined woman, who started by making her first mask by hand. “It was a slow start but one of the women in the group, Marcelina Jardim, was kind enough to loan me one of her sewing machines,” she says. Diana is still working full-time and says volunteers don’t have to feel pressured into making a certain number of masks per day. “When I’m busy, I make three to five masks a day. There is still work to be done; most women have children or other loved ones to take care of, we just do what we can when we can.”
The women have been working for three weeks now. So far, they have donated 70 masks to the Potchefstroom Taxi Driver’s Association and 140 to Mooirivier Beskerming for their security guards, first responders, and people who work in the CCTV rooms.
Diana says the women at the Abraham Kriel Children’s home have also volunteered to make masks. “They’ve made two for each child and are now making masks to donate. We’ve just managed to complete 200 masks for the Disaster Relief Force and 30 masks for some lovely ladies at Mediclinic. We’ve made well over 500 masks and hope to keep going strong,” she says.
She welcomes everyone who wants to join forces. “There is a pattern on www.10millionmasks.africa but there are a lot of really great patterns out there, some easier than others. We wash the masks and pack them into bags but still encourage people to wash the mask before use. We recommend cotton as a fabric as it provides the best protection and is also breathable and comfortable.
“The most important thing is to still adhere to the basic COVID-19 rules – don’t touch your face, keep washing your hands and, the most important thing regarding the masks, wash them after every single use,” she emphasises.
People who want to get involved may send Diana a WhatsApp message at 083 515 6253.
The drop-off zones for the masks and any donated material, yarn or elastic are at Bult Super-spar, Van der Hoff Park Pick n Pay, Engen Bult Convenience Centre, and Engen Mooirivier Convenience Centre. Put them in the box with the #10millionmasks logo.
