By day, Madam Choong Chui Ping teaches mechanical technology at the Institute of Technical Education. By night, the mother of two is a “tailor” who has been sewing masks – not for family or friends, but for strangers she may never meet.
Armed with basic sewing skills and an electronic sewing machine, Madam Choong, 47, has, since the start of this month, been stitching masks for people who have trouble getting surgical masks.
The effort started with about 10 friends who volunteer at Buddhist charity Tzu Chi Foundation (Singapore) in Pasir Ris.
As more orders from the public came in, they roped in more friends to help and eventually sewed 1,600 masks in less than two weeks.
Half were mailed to members of the public while the rest were distributed to pre-school children in Yishun and senior citizens at two centres.
The team has since expanded, with more Tzu Chi volunteers on board – about 170 of them.
The volunteers have also joined local apparel firm CYC Tailor to sew masks for migrant workers. CYC Tailor marketing manager Cara Chiang said it aims to distribute 300,000 cloth masks to migrant workers from 29 Apr.
The Tzu Chi volunteers have since joined a larger pool of more than 400 volunteers from groups such as Yellow Ribbon Project and the Centre for Domestic Employees, as well as others sourced via Facebook, to help CYC Tailor in its efforts to give masks to migrant workers.
CYC pre-cuts the fabric and provides the elastic bands and metal wire for the volunteers.
A group of volunteer drivers then collect the masks from the tailors’ homes, who leave the finished masks outside.
Madam Choong hopes her small gesture of sewing masks will help migrant workers feel they are not alone. “Singaporeans were given masks to protect themselves, the migrant workers should also get them.”
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Source: The Straits Times, 28 April 2020