Masks for All! Bonnygate Women’s Group Responds to the COVID-19 Challenge

The St. Mary-based Bonnygate Women’s Group is responding to the ongoing pandemic using their needlecraft skills. The group has started making cloth face masks, fitted with charcoal filters. Since starting production in March the women have created approximately 700 masks and continue to have a good demand.

The Bonnygate Women’s Group teaches sewing and embroidery skills to young women, especially unemployed women and survivors of domestic abuse. The women completed a six-week training session in March and were preparing to move on to the second phase of training to prepare the women for the heavy tourist season. However, plans had to be changed as Jamaica reported its first confirmed case of the 2019 Novel Coraonavirus disease or COVID-19. With the heightened restrictions signalling a close of the heavy tourism season, the women had to quickly pivot.

“Our training in hand embroidery, crochet and hardanga is presently on hold, and individuals are working from home,” explained Shirley Duncan, President of the group. “A number of women have found new initiatives –  one woman started making masks.” That woman is Melissa Wisdom-Douglas.

“I want to ensure that the people I supply have some amount of protection,” said Wisdom-Douglas who began making the masks at home with her mother, Michelle Martin-Brown. “The masks are designed with a charcoal filter layer. We can’t go wrong with activated charcoal.” The charcoal filter layer is intended to absorb contaminants from the air. “The mask works both ways. If you are infected with a virus, your exhaled air will be filtered, and the process repeats itself when you inhale,” said Wiscom-Douglas as she shared her research. “We’ve also doubled the masks with a cotton material that is very breathable but tightly woven for maximum protection.”

With cases of COVID-19 on the rise, the Bonnygate Women’s Group is looking to retool and share more designs for personal protective garments. “It’s not and cannot be same old, same old. Some of the opportunities will be volunteer-based but in times like these, those who can should,” said Duncan, who played an intrical role in organising the most recent training for the women. The group received Digicel Foundation 15^th Anniversary Grant in 2019 to expand its training capacity. “We’re grateful to the Digicel Foundation for their sponsorship, and continue to stay connected with them as we innovate.”

Members of the general public interested in purchasing masks from the Bonnygate Women’s Group can contact (876) 329-1047.

Below a are few of the mask made by the women’s group.