ABU DHABI: More than 30 volunteers in the capital heeded the call of the non-profit Operation Smile (OS) UAE by sewing bed-sheets for a medical mission in Malawi, Africa.
OS is a medical service organisation that aims to provide safe surgical options for children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.
Donation
The volunteers made the sheets from king-size quilt covers donated by a hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Morag Cromey-Hawke, executive director of OS, said, “We have been waiting for a suitable opportunity to send these sheets to people who need them. Early this month, we had a request from Operation Smile Malawi where 300 patients will undergo surgery in July.” Morag said the double quilt cover sheets had to be cut into single sheets with the edges being stitched up. One call to the volunteers and the job got done.
“We sent out a request to all our registered community members. The Marriott at Al Forsan Hotel sent eight staff members. The job was completed in two weeks’ time.”
- Morag Cromey-Hawke, Operation Smile UAE
Volunteer Ti Seymour said she was overwhelmed with the volume of work when she set out for the job.
“There was so much to do during the first week. But I spread the word around on the Abu Dhabi Q&A forum and got a lot of support.”
Morag said OS was now working on arrangements to transport the sheets to Malawi.
“We are in contact with airlines and shipping companies and we hope we can have them transported as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.”
