Donors\' Silent Operations

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

A letter of thanks to the medical team was included in a package containing a face shield made by a Bebek  Kaleyo employee in the Sunter area, North Jakarta, on Thursday (2/4/2020).

Without much talk, communities have initiated their own efforts to help health workers at the forefront in the war against the new coronavirus. They just want this nation to survive the outbreak.

Memoy Munajah, 36, and eight other housewives continue to make face masks in the third week of Ramadan. The housewives, who are members of the Charlotte Mason homeschooling community in South Tangerang, Banten, want face protectors to be always available when health workers need them.

"Alhamdulillah [all praises to Allah], during the fasting month, face masks are always available, " Memoy said on Thursday (14/5/2020).

So, they have work faster so that the masks can be distributed immediately to the people who need them.

There is high demand for the masks during the fasting month of Ramadan. So, they have work faster so that the masks can be distributed immediately to the people who need them. For example, when there is demand for 900 masks, they immediately order 1,200 pieces of raw material so that they can make more for stock.

The nine housewives started their activities when there was a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers when the COVID-19 began to spread rapidly in late March. At that time, the PPE shortages dominated the social media and news outlets as many health workers were reported to have been infected by the new coronavirus, which caused COVID-19.

"We don\'t want just do nothing at home. With donation from the community, we started shopping for the raw materials for the mask production," she said.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

The Bebek  Kaleyo employees who are seconded to make face shields (faceshield) are installing straps in the Sunter area, North Jakarta, Thursday (2/4/2020).

Since the beginning of April, they have spent their time at home to make masks which will be distributed for free to health workers. At the first stage, they distributed about 250 masks. Until now, they have already made and distributed 2,800 masks to hospitals, health centers, and clinics.

There are two models of masks they produce. The first is made from foam, which costs between Rp 3,000 and Rp 3,500 per piece (depending on the price of the raw material price). The second one is made of impraboard or material that is hollow, which is more durable and can be used repeatedly by only replacing the protective plastic. This mask costs Rp 10,000 per piece, including protective plastic replacement.

Memoy and her friends did not include the labor costs because they carried out their activities for free. "We consider our time and energy as the donation that we can give," he said.

They also invited neighbors and other communities, especially in the regions where the requests for masks was high. Finally, they ask for donation from the public to purchase raw materials for the production of the masks.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

The Bebek  Kaleyo employees who are seconded to make face shields (faceshield), do the final check on the Sunter area, North Jakarta, on Thursday (2/4/2020).

Donations

Every rupiah from the donations are used to buy the required raw materials so that the activities will continue. "The activities will not be stopped because many people still need the masks and they don’t know when the outbreak will end,” she said.

The networks that have been formed also help one another such as in the supply of raw materials because prices in Jakarta are lower than in other cities. At present, networks that have been active in making masks are located in, among others, in Semarang, Gresik, Batam and Solok.

One of the other residents who was moved to make face masks for health workers was Dianda Azani, who lives in Kalibata, South Jakarta. She learned how to make face masks and made them between her teaching and consulting activities with clients. "I feel I need to do something to support the efforts in handling COVID-19 from home," said Dianda, who is also a psychologist.

She initially used her own money for the production of the masks.

Since April, he has made 450 face marks that were distributed to health centers and residents in need. She initially used her own money for the production of the masks. In order to make her donation activities more sustainable, she sells one for every two masks she distributes. The proceeds from the sales are used to buy raw materials.

The concern over the condition of health workers is very reasonable, because a lot of health workers were infected with the coronavirus. As of May 6, 2020, according to data from the COVID-19 task force, as many as 38 doctors and 17 nurses died because of COVID-19.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

Mamay (59) helped sewing to finish making clothes for personal protective equipment (PPE) in the home-owned convection business of her grandson, Yusup Agustian, in Ciherang Village, Dramaga District, Bogor Regency, on Tuesday (31/3/2020).

In Purwokerto, Central Java, Brili Agung, 29, a businessman, provides free rooms at his Aksara Homestay for medical staff. "They are at the forefront in breaking the chain of the distribution of COVID-19. If they can\'t rest, then they will get sick, who will treat the patients?” he said in the middle of April.

Not only that, he also provides three meals a day and vitamins for them. While serving health workers, Brili\'s employees also strictly comply with health protocols.

Students on a number of campuses also make masks for health workers. According to information gathered at the beginning of May, students of the University of PGRI Palembang make face masks from mica.

Students on a number of campuses also make masks for health workers. According to information gathered at the beginning of May, students of the University of PGRI Palembang make face masks from mica. The mica masks were then sent to a number of first-level health facilities in Palembang, Prabumulih, Muara Enim, Baturaja and Muara Dua.

A similar activity was carried out by Budhi Hermanto, a social activist in Yogyakarta. He organized the production of protective clothes in cooperation with tailors in Yogyakarta and Central Java. Until 17 May 2020, Budhi and the volunteers who helped him had distributed 19,376 hazmat suits, 4,460 PPE sets, 200 goggles and 86 sets of medical clothes distributed to 230 health facilities throughout Indonesia. "As long as we can and there are someone who need it, we will continue to help health workers," said Budhi. (RAM/DRI/REN/BRO)