Once the Women’s Center opened again, after the initial coronavirus lockdown in Toliara, the women met to sew face masks instead of Days for Girls kits.

Earlier this month they completed sewing 2,000 face masks for the Diocese and have distributed them to the 2 schools and 10 parishes. Funds were donated to cover the costs of making these.

This photo shows Bishop Todd & Harisoa & the final 500 masks for the Diocese.

The women are now partnering with Base Toliara and the Malagasy government to make 45,000 face masks over the next 2 months.  Base Toliara is a mining company, 25 miles north of Toliara town, sourcing ilmenite, zircon and rutile, which are used in the production of white pigment for paint, plastics and paper as well as for ceramics and metallurgy.

The contract between the Women’s Center and Base Toliara is for 2 months.  8 women, who normally work at the Women’s Center, will be supervising 40 women plus at Base Toliara.   3 women will go there for 2 weeks at a time and then rotate with others from the team.  Working as supervisors is a step up for all of them, most of whom learned to use a sewing machine for the first time in 2016, to make Days for Girls kits.

Recently Bishop Todd and Rev. Patsy visited Base Toliara, and the whole project was filmed for local television, which can be seen on the Diocesan Facebook page