BY DAYO ADESULU
My World of Bags in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation has distributed over 2.5 million free Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to 334 schools, 1,076 hospitals, and 158 NGOs spread across 10 states in Nigeria through Project SafeUp.
Since October 2020, when it began production and distribution, the initiative has led to the creation of 276 jobs across the production value chain with an 80% focus on the employment of women in these positions.
Project SafeUp is an initiative executed under the Mastercard Foundation COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Program. It is aimed at delivering emergency support for health workers, first responders and students, and strengthening the diverse institutions that are the first line of defence against the social and economic aftermath of the pandemic.
Speaking on the benefits of the initiative, Rolake Fadairo, Founder, Cute Cuts said, “Working on Project SafeUp (with My World of Bags) has led to an improvement in the skills and capacity of my staff, as well as the procurement of essential production machinery. Through this project, I have been able to learn key management skills that have led to greater business efficiency,” she said.
One of the program beneficiaries, Mrs. Ogunremi of Fajuyi Primary Health Center, explained that the quick turnaround from the initiative meant that PPEs were available when they were most needed. “The PPEs we received gave us protection from the coronavirus during essential surgical procedures and arrived at the perfect time as none were available at that time,” she said.
“The Mastercard Foundation COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Program is to ensure that our communities are protected from the pandemic, which has affected many communities across the country. Our partnership with My World of Bags on Project SafeUp has helped to reduce the adverse effects of COVID-19 with the production and distribution of PPE’s so that people can return to work and businesses,” said Chidinma Lawanson, Country Head, Mastercard Foundation.
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In her own remarks on the initiative, Femi Olayebi, the Project Director & Founder of My World of Bags noted that the organization is pleased to be a critical part of the solution during the pandemic through the Project SafeUp.
“Over the past 6 months, our team has worked tirelessly to reach as many Nigerians across the country as possible. Every single item of PPE has been crafted with the highest quality of materials and with the utmost care and detail by hundreds of hands that we have been privileged to empower through this project,” she said.
