Some 250 women weavers in Cambodia under the Maybank Women Eco-Weavers programme in collaboration with Colorsilk, a social business for Cambodian weavers, are aiming to produce more than 110,000 hand-woven face masks made of pure cotton and silk to help limit the spread of Covid-19 in the region.

The initiative, which began early this year, is also in support of easing the pressure on the demand for surgical masks which are primarily reserved for medical professionals and healthcare workers, as well as to counter the increase in price of face masks within the region.

To date, over 15,000 hand-woven masks have been produced by the weavers, whereby 12,000 have been sold and 2,000 were donated to communities in Cambodia.

In Cambodia, a single-use surgical mask could easily cost as high as $1 per piece in a country where a large percentage of people live below the poverty line and earn between $1.25 and $2 per day.

The three-ply hand-woven cotton masks can be cleaned, reused and cost a minimum of $0.65 and the silk woven masks are priced at $1.50 per piece.

The masks come in both plain and a striped pattern known as krama, which is unique to the Cambodian silk-weaving heritage.

Maybank Foundation CEO Shahril Azuar Jimin was proud of the programme’s effectiveness and the dedication displayed by the weavers.

He said: “Amid the difficult times we are all going through, it is heartening to see our weavers going the extra mile, doing their part to contain the spread of the virus by producing these handcrafted face masks.

“This momentous effort by them goes to show that anyone be it old, young, rich or poor can do their part to help each other in times of crisis.

“It is also inspiring to see the impact of our investments in collective solutions for the communities we serve.”

Majority of the weavers are graduates and trainees of the Maybank Women Eco-Weavers programme, a Maybank Foundation flagship programme that promotes traditional textile in a sustainable manner while creating economic independence and financial inclusion for women weavers across Southeast Asia.

The face mask initiative also provides supplementary economic opportunities for the weavers and Cambodia’s weaving communities in an effort to ensure fair pricing and protect the welfare of the people.

From this initiative alone, the weavers are earning between $200 and $350 per month.

The weavers are also currently receiving orders from countries such as Japan, Indonesia, the US and Taiwan.

Touch Eng, a graduate trainee of the programme, said: “I used to earn less than $30 as a farmer while others made more working at factories.

“Since I participated in the face mask project, I am thankful that I am able to earn between $250 and $280 and support my country in combating the spread of the virus.”

El Ny, an experienced weaver of the same programme, said: “I am quite lucky to be able to secure my family’s income during this challenging period.

“Many of the villagers who work in factories are struggling because of the impact of Covid-19.

“I am thankful that I can earn up to $320 per month from this face mask project.

“My husband used to question my decision about working as a weaver but now he has given his full support.”

The programme is currently running in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Laos.

THE STAR (MALAYSIA)/ASIA NEWS NETWORK