Mastercard Foundation has partnered with My World of Bags (MWOB), a bag design and manufacturing company, to distribute about 2.5 million personal protective equipment (PPEs) in an effort to promote health safety for Nigerians amidst the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The initiative by the two organisations called Project SafeUp, will see the free personal protective equipment distributed among health workers and the general public across South West Nigeria.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, MWOB retooled its factory to focus on the production of PPE and established key partnerships with small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with the intention of producing 2.5 million items to be distributed within the next four to six months.
Speaking during a virtual meeting, the operations manager, MWOB, Adetoun Ademuyiwa, reiterated the company’s commitment to supporting the fight against the spread of the coronavirus. She stated, “As a company, we are proud to be a part of the solution to contribute to the efforts of the authorities and health bodies to protect our health workers and our citizens from the devastating impact of COVID-19.
“We believe that a country is only as strong as the health and wellness of its citizens. We are grateful to the Mastercard Foundation for their support and look forward to continuing to work with them to improve the welfare of our citizens.”
Country Head, Mastercard Foundation, Chidinma Lawanson, said, “At the Mastercard Foundation, we believe that this initiative will help to reduce these adverse effects by enabling people to safely return to their regular routines (education and work) with the use of PPE; improving the economic outcomes of low-income subgroups and women in particular; and contributing to slowing down the spread of the virus.”
Project SafeUp is committed to enhancing the use of Personal Protective Equipment by Nigerians and to reducing the spread of COVID-19 by sensitizing the public on the critical need to incorporate preventative measures in their day-to-day activities.
“The pandemic has had adverse effects on individuals and organizations across the country, but for many entrepreneurs and small business owners who make up most of the Nigerian population, and who rely on day-to-day incomes to survive, it has been particularly detrimental.
The Project SafeUp will cover state; including Oyo, Lagos, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti as well as to other areas in need across the country. The PPE that will be produced includes reusable non-surgical masks, face shields, gowns and scrubs, and shoe and head covers.
