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Sarawak volunteers sew thousands of PPEs for Sabah frontliners

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The first batch of protective gear has been sent to Tawau, Sabah, with 4,000 more sets on the way.

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Free Malaysia Today
Tanoti volunteers preparing PPE sets for frontliners in Sabah.

KUCHING:
A group of Sarawakian volunteers, most of them housewives, have joined the fight against Covid-19 by making personal protective equipment (PPE) sets for frontliners in Sabah.

The initiative is driven by Tanoti, a social enterprise which trains and employs rural women to weave songkets. This helps them to earn income and have a platform to sell the traditional handicrafts.

Over the weekend, Tanoti gathered 24 volunteers to sew 1,000 PPEs for frontliners in neighbouring Sabah, which is the worst-hit state with close to 10,000 Covid-19 cases recorded to date.

Jacqueline Fong, who co-founded the company, said each PPE set includes an isolation gown, hood cover and a pair of shoe covers.

The first batch of PPEs made their way to Tawau, Sabah, on Monday, and Tanoti and their volunteers are now rushing to make 4,000 more sets for frontliners in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Semporna.

Free Malaysia Today
The first batch has been sent to Tawau, and 4,000 more sets are being prepared.

Fong said they first decided to delve into making PPEs during the movement control order (MCO) in March because of its shortage in Sarawak.

“We are glad that the volunteers are willing to come forward once again, this time for Sabah. We aim to produce a total of 5,000 sets of PPE.”

Free Malaysia Today
Volunteers of the Tanoti enterprise have been working over the weekend.

This, she said, would cost an estimated RM104,250, and members of the public who wished to donate to the cause were welcome to do so.

One volunteer, Phyllis Chubita, a primary school teacher, said she was happy that she could use her sewing skills to help in the fight against Covid-19.

Free Malaysia Today
Each set consists of an isolation gown, hood cover and a pair of shoe covers.

Phyllis, who sews the PPEs at her home, can stitch an isolation gown in under 15 minutes. “I can do it quite fast because sewing is my hobby and I have been sewing curtains and dresses to earn some extra money.”

Even though making the PPE sets meant she had less time to earn her side income, Phyllis said she was more than willing to lend her time and energy to do so.

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