Some National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Nasarawa State have produced and donated 1,000 face masks to the Nasarawa state government as part of their contribution to the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
Miss Deborah Oladeji, a 2019 Batch B Corps member serving in the Nasarawa state Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, led other corps members to make the donation to the Nasarawa state government in Lafia on Tuesday.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nasarawa state Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, received the donation on behalf of the state government.
Oladeji said the face masks were made by the corps members who put into practice what they learnt at the NYSC Skills Acquisition & Entrepreneurship Department (SAED) during their orientation exercise.
“We came together and thought of a preventive means of ensuring the virus does not penetrate in to Nasarawa state and what we chose is well-tailored local face masks given the tailoring skill we learnt through the NYSC SAED training.
“We decided to come out, pool our resources to make the face masks for distribution to residents so they can protect themselves to prevent the infection of the virus and also to serve as service to humanity.
“We decided to do this due to the basic training we got through our SAED training in the fashion design line and we thought of rendering this Community Development Service to the community here in Nasarawa state,” Oladeji said.
She said that the face masks, made with cotton, were durable and had sterilised inner linen, which prevents the easy passage of airborne viruses that are harmful to the human system.
“The advantage is that we can maintain this type of face mask since it is not the disposable type and washing thoroughly with antiseptics and sun drying is what is required in maintaining it,” the corps member said.
She said that the project was collectively undertaken by all corps members in the state with some donating money, others fabrics and those with knowledge of sewing completing the task by producing the face masks.
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Receiving the donation, Akabe lauded the Corps members for the gesture and expressed joy at their creative invention and patriotism.
“I am so elated when I see Corps members with such commitment, foresight, zeal to want to assist and contribute their quota to help humanity; and that is what NYSC is all about.
“Having to produce these masks, I cannot but thank you for the foresight because we know what is happening the world over with regards to COVID-19,” he said.
The deputy governor said the provision of the masks would go a long way to help the state government contain the spread of the virus.
“Face masks ideally are supposed to be used and disposed of and not reusable but we cannot afford disposable masks for everybody in this country considering the population we have.
“So this idea of this reusable cotton masks will go a long way in preventing the spread of the virus.
“Like you said, we have to use it hygienically. We cannot afford to use it without cleaning . So our people should know this.
“I want to again thank NYSC for this noble gesture, especially the management in the state because the Corps members would not have succeeded without the support of management,” he said.
NAN reports that Mr. Stephen Dewan, Coordinator of NYSC in the state, and other management staff of the scheme were present during the donation.
