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Physical and financial health during COVID-19: Women’s economic empowerment project provides 24,000 much-needed face masks
The ongoing threat of the global COVID-19 pandemic has caused shortages in personal protective equipment the world over, while economic hardship looms – but an UNMIK-supported project is addressing both issues at the same time.
Over the past month, 54 women and six men from different communities in the Mitrovica region have been working around the clock to sew 24,000 masks that will contribute to the protection of their communities from COVID-19 – with the masks now ready for donation to 4800 of the most vulnerable families in the region.
In addition to the materials to create the 24,000 masks, all sewers, such as Hasime Maloku, were given extra supplies to enable them to engage in their own business ventures and secure their livelihoods once the donated masks were completed.
“I'm an older woman, and my sons didn’t have salaries during this state of emergency. I have enough material to continue sewing masks [and] I see that people need them,” Maloku said.
