At the start of the national lockdown in late March 2020, the Kruger family were watching a news report about the importance of wearing masks to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus in South Africa. The family knew that people did not have access to face masks, especially those who did not even have money for food. They knew that the need for masks was going to be huge and urgent, so they got to work the very next morning. Caitlin Kruger worked on finding and adapting a pattern to make masks.
The family first made a number of different masks and then chose the best pattern and started in earnest on that Monday afternoon. Makhosi Zondo, who usually sews clothing for CAST with the KwaDabeka sewing group, was staying with the Kruger family during lockdown and switched to sewing masks. Before they knew it, the whole family were producing masks. The little girls, aged 4 and 6, even climbed in to help by turning the masks inside out once sewn and enjoyed pegging them on the line to dry after they were washed. The Kruger family managed to make 544 masks in the first week, and just over 2 000 in total.
In partnership with our alliance of churches, CAST was issued an essential services permit to pack and distribute food parcels during the lockdown which were delivered to 9 of our partner churches, aiding those identified as food insecure in the communities in which CAST operates. Over and above our usual monthly distribution, 1500 food parcels have been delivered so far, each able to feed a family of 4 for up to 2 weeks. In addition to the food, each recipient was provided with a mask very kindly sewn with love by the Kruger family.
We really appreciate the support from the Kruger family during this challenging time. If you would like to contribute towards supplying more protective masks for those in the communities, visit cast.org.za to make an online donation or EFT. For more information, contact us on info@cast.org.za or +27(0)31 266 8830.
