Two sisters have started a "Southern Thanks" scheme to provide reusable masks for Auckland students who will need them when they finally head back into the classroom.
Auckland students who have been forced to home school due to being in alert level 3 or 4 since 17 August are due to head back to their classrooms on 18 October once the holidays have finished.
But new government guidelines say staff and students in years 9-to-13 are required to wear face coverings indoors.
That's sparked an idea for two sisters, who are now making re-usable masks for schools in Tamaki Makaurau that will be in need.
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Megan Nicholl is behind the project and said she got the idea after hearing that it would be mandatory for Auckland school children to wear masks when they return, but that not all could afford them.
"My sister's an artist she had been making masks as a bit of a sideline, fundraiser under Clay Dog her label, and I rang her and I said 'hey why don't we make some and send them up to these students up in Auckland' and so that's what we're doing."
She said her friends are helping them to make masks and she has already offered masks to Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in Ōtara and they are very excited about the programme.
Photo: 123RF
Nicholl said she has been sewing for years, but the masks can be handsewn and don't have to be fancy.
She said it's a southern thanks to Aucklanders for locking down.
"The other thing we're doing is we're including with each mask a little, a little note of thank you because the whole point of it is to say thanks to everyone in Auckland for locking down so all of us down here in the South Island and elsewhere, you know are safe."
She said it's a social campaign which she initially thought would only be in the South Island, but "heaps of people in the North Island who aren't in lockdown have jumped on board as well".
Nicholl said she wanted to make masks that are fun, colourful and sustainable. She said there are a number of free patterns available for mask making and it doesn't matter which one is used so long as it fits the face.
She said there's no set target in terms of the number of masks made.
"I work full-time so I couldn't today but my daughter, my sister and my mother all made 36 today, they all got together and had a stitch session."
Nicholl said Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate has said they will take many masks as they are offered and if they have too many they will pass them onto another school in South Auckland.