Sustainable face masks for Nepal
February 10, 2022
At the end of 2021, we were fortunate to receive a generous donation of sustainable face masks from WingGuard for our Nepalese partners.

Protecting health and the environment
At the end of 2021, we were fortunate to receive a generous donation of sustainable face masks from WingGuard, an innovative medical technology company based in Cologne. Some of us had already had positive experiences with their reusable masks and so we had the idea of offering this protection to our local Nepalese partners and their families as well. In addition we wanted to help reduce plastic waste in Nepal coming about by the use of common OP and FFP2 masks.
When the number of Corona cases in Nepal was on the rise again in November, and the Nepalese winter was in sight, we approached WingGuard, and asked for a donation of masks. Within a few days only, we received a delivery of of masks as a donation in kind and were able to take them to Nepal shortly afterwards as part of a project trip.
The sustainable and very comfortable masks were gratefully received by our Nepalis.


Face masks protecting from air pollution
In Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, wearing face masks in everyday life has been common and necessary for many years. Due to the high levels of air pollution, people try to protect themselves in this way when travelling in heavy traffic. Masks available in Nepal often offer insufficient protection due to either a lack of quality or a lack of knowledge on how to use them properly. The members of the Akasha Academy NGO are therefore happy about the double benefit of the masks; as effective protection against coronaviruses on the one hand and as an effective air filter mask in road traffic on the other hand. Beginning of December 2021 our 8-month Akasha Traineeship Programme under the motto Educate, Enable, Empower had started. Of course we wanted to give our staff and students the opportunity to effectively protect themselves as well. We translated the instructions for the use into Nepali and handed it over to each of our students together with the mask in a particularly sustainable package made out of traditional Lokta paper.
Thanks again to WingGuard for the great support by generously donating more than 200 face masks to us: Dhanyabad!