Tabby's Covid-19 Response (Masks)
Significant Challenge(s)
In May 2020, as India had planned to reopen from a COVID pandemic lockdown, a number of states throughout the country had discussed laws requiring all citizens to wear masks when they were outside of their homes. A number of states had already implemented these laws. Penalties for failing to wear a mask would range from monetary fines to actual arrest.
The implementation of a nationwide lockdown for a population of 1.3 billion people had understandably been difficult to manage and enforce. It is estimated that more than 830 million Indians (69% of the population) live in rural areas. More than 75% of rural households survive on less than $65 per month - estimated to be more than 650 million people surviving on less than 44 cents per day.
More than half of this rural population rely on manual labor and wages paid daily. Due to the lockdowns, these wages had been cut off. Also, there are no unemployment benefits or social nets to help meet their basic needs. The government had appropriated relief funds to help infected citizens, but the scale and logistical implementation of this help meant that millions of affected Indians were not receiving any assistance.
So Tabby’s took on the challenge to sow masks to support as many people in their community as possible. But that was not an easy task to even get started. In June 2020, Tabby’s started training the ladies to make the masks, but had not officially started production. There are still a lot of restrictions regarding movement, gatherings and activity in India because of COVID. This has made the process a good bit slower - specifically locating and sourcing the raw materials for the masks.
In July, the situation on the ground in Hyderabad has been getting markedly worse. Hyderabad was under a strict lock-down for the month, so unfortunately, things were still on hold. The suppliers from whom they need to purchase the raw materials were still not open.
In August, the lockdown in Hyderabad has made things incredibly difficult. They had not been able to purchase raw materials, and most of the women have not been able to travel into the workshop to do any work because of travel restrictions. Due to the inability of the women to travel into the workshop (public transport is still shut down), only 5 ladies have been able to do any work with the limited materials we had on hand before the lockdown started.
The first 1533 masks were distributed, 4 months after the initial plan, in September 2020.
Satisfying Solution
Tabby’s primarily employs women who are affected by HIV. Tabby’s offers HIV-affected women acceptance, dignity and hope by providing job training and employment in a safe, loving community that empowers them to choose a better path and provide for their children. Someone with HIV is five times more likely to be critically or fatally affected by contracting COVID-19.
The women of Tabby’s began with a goal of making 20,000 hand-sew masks for free distribution. They ended up making and distributing over 75,000! In addition to distribution in the immediate communities of the Tabby’s women, they partnered with local NGOs who provide essential services to children’s homes, slums and poor rural communities. This targeted goal also provided employment for up to 16 women for 2 years. This was made possible through a $30,000 fund-raising campaign.
We were proud to partner with this social entrepreneur.
Business Activities Geared Towards Ensuring Healthy Lives And Promoting Economic Development:
Goal: Promote health coverage, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for HIV infected persons. (Adapted from Target 3.8)
Goal: Promote full and productive employment and decent work for all women, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. (Part of Target 8.5 - SDG 08)
“Measured by” Outcomes
June 2020 - Dec 2022
Amount of Grant Given.
“What Does Your Donation Go Towards?”
STORIES OF SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT
Even though it was a long and difficult start to the project, once they were able to resource some supplies and get a few women into the shop, things were at an accelerated pace. In Q4 2020, 2541 masks were distributed in October and approximately 19,200 masks in November & December.
These women made sure to create them with beauty.
“One common remark received as we distribute the masks is regarding how beautiful they are. The Tabby’s ladies are using bright and colorful material for the outside layer of the masks, making them very bright and vibrant. People are genuinely excited to receive the masks.”
Because COVID was still impacting the region, their production and distribution activities were limited at times such as in March through June of 2021. With 2300 masks in stock and enough funds to sow an additional 26,000, the challenge seemed to outweigh the solution.
The ladies were also experiencing the effects of COVID firsthand while trying to both help others and provide income for themselves and their families. For example,
“Mhadavi joined Tabby’s in 2016. In early 2021 Mhadavi contracted COVID. Due to her HIV condition as well as diabetes, the treatment for COVID exacerbated a rare but deadly fungal infection in her body. Mhadavi was hospitalized multiple times and underwent multiple procedures to have her sinus cavities debride. We were not sure she would survive. Today she is doing much better and has stitched more than 4,000 masks in recent months. These 4,000 masks have been distributed in addition to providing Mhadavi the basic income that she needs.”
And…
“Sridevi is one of our most faithful and joyful workers at Tabby’s. Her home life is very difficult. Her husband, who contracted HIV and passed it on to her, is still living. He was in poor health and did not work and was an alcoholic. She has two teenage daughters and cares for her mother-in- law, who is bed ridden. She had also struggled with a number of health issues, in addition to her HIV. Even with such a heavy burden, Sridevi was joyful and loving. This quarter (Q1 2022), more than 700 masks were distributed by Sridevi in her neighborhood and nearby slum areas.”
These ladies used every connection they knew to help distribute these masks. At the end of 2 years, they had sown 70,045 masks and finished distributing them in Q3 of 2022 in Hyderabad and the surrounding areas. Beyond all of these moments and accomplishments was something even more amazing for the women themselves:
“One of the greatest joys of this project has been seeing how the women of Tabby’s have been able to bless their own local communities. Due to their HIV conditions, they always feel separated from the community, and often rejected because of the fear and ignorance surrounding HIV and how it is transmitted. But, through this project, they have been able to directly bless their neighbors and communities in a very practical way. It was an amazing opportunity for them to extend love to those around them who previously have rejected them, or held them at arm's length.”
Tabby’s continues to make a difference in their region and local communities. You can learn more about who they are and what products they provide at http://www.tabbys.org/ The project finished with Professionals International in September of 2022 as it finished up its latest agreement.
