Surat couple stitches free masks for underprivileged from leftover fabrics

Surat (Gujarat) [India], October 8 : Wearing masks has become a necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic, but many daily wage labourers cannot afford to buy them, as their incomes have been severely affected due the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
To help such people, especially underprivileged children, Hanuman Prajapat and his wife Ratan Ben started stitching four-layered masks from leftover fabrics discarded by tailors, and distributing them for free in Surat.
Speaking to ANI, Prajapat said that he and his wife have stitched and distributed around 6,000 face masks in and around Surat in the last four months, and now he is collaborating with Nishkam Karm Seva Foundation that works in rural areas of Rajasthan and making masks for them.
"I collect leftover fabrics from the tailoring shops in the city, use them to make face masks, and give it to the people who can't afford them. In the last four months, I along with my wife have stitched and distributed around 6,000 face masks in the city," he said.
Prajapat informed that recently he was approached by a non-profit organisation called Nishkam Karm Seva Foundation that works in rural Rajasthan to make masks for them.
"After hearing about my work, Nishkam Karm Seva Foundation approached me, and now I'm making masks for them to distribute in rural areas of Rajasthan. The organisation is providing me cost of thread and elastic for the mask," he said.
Vijay Bhadviya, a member of the Nishkam Karm Seva Foundation said, "When we came to know about the work Hanuman Bhai is doing we approached him. He is working for 'no profit- no loss' with us. With his help we have distributed sent three to four thousand masks to rural areas of Rajasthan, and have given him the order for more than five thousand more masks."