IAU Launces the "A Cloth Mask for All" Initiative

The Deanship of Community Service and Sustainable Development at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University has launched the "A Cloth Mask for All" initiative. The initiative was held in partnership with the Saudi Society for Traffic Safety (Salama), ARAFA Multiple Sclerosis Association, the Early Breast Cancer Diagnosis Campaign, and IAU's Public Relations and Media Directorate. The initiative was implemented by national creative craftswomen who contributed to help fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Prof. Fatima Al-Mulhim, Dean of the Deanship of Community Service and Sustainable Development, stated that the Deanship is working to provide awareness-raising initiatives and campaigns related to community service and sustainable development, as well as intensifying its efforts to participate with other agencies to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Prof. Al-Mulhim emphasized the importance of raising awareness to the sense of responsibility and citizenship, especially during this difficult period, where it has been noticed that people are tossing their disposable masks in an unhealthy way, and such negative behaviors arouse a new environmental burden that will take many years to eliminate. Indicating that wearing cloth masks is recommended by the World Health Organization and the Saudi Ministry of Health.
Prof. Al-Mulhim also mentioned that the deanship has adopted the "A Cloth Mask for All" initiative after the recent measures of gradually returning to our normal lifestyle. The aim of the initiative is to provide cloth masks as an alternative to disposable masks with the help and contribution of local creative craftswomen. Several participating establishments embraced this initiative and distributed cloth masks among their employees as well as the health and security staff in the Eastern Region.

Dr. Abdulhameed Al-Mojil, the Saudi Society for Traffic Safety Chairman stated that "Since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Traffic Police played a prominent role in every stage of the society's commitment to procedures to assist in maintaining the safety of citizens and residents. And in recognition to their outstanding efforts and with consideration to their safety, the Saudi Society for Traffic Safety participated in the campaign launched by the Deanship of Community Service and Sustainable Development by providing cloth masks for Traffic Police to help in protecting them from COVID-19 and to preserve the environment as well.

Mrs. Fatima Al-Zahrani, ARFA Multiple Sclerosis Association Chairwomen mentioned that this initiative was organized to protect the environment from the increasing use of disposable masks, replacing them with cloth masks, and to build bridges of communication between ARFA associates. Moreover, she mentioned that "ARFA" will be one of the Deanship of Community Service and Sustainable Development's partners in all initiatives that serve the public good. She concluded by adding that the idea of this initiative was proposed by Professor Fatima Al-Mulhim, who is a pioneer in providing community services and is interested in presenting ideas that serve the community and its members; stressing that "ARFA" will not hesitate to contribute, participate, and strive to spread community service initiative goals.