As COVID-19 cases spiked in Kerala, the government ordered every panchayat to set up a 50-bed care centre. This increased the demand for cots, mattresses, pillows, and other essentials in the state. Social entrepreneur Lakshmi Menon, who had always been at the forefront of social welfare initiatives, came up with the concept of ‘shayya’, which is a project to provide mattresses for COVID-care centres. Women braided bits of PPE scraps into rope-like plaits 6 feet long. The braids were laid out in a zigzag and the ends tied together. The result was a light, soft, washable, hygienic mattress for just 300 rupees – half the price of a normal one. In the process, the women of Arayankav, Kochi got jobs and the COVID clinics got mattresses.
The idea of using waste scraps came to her when she was driving to Kochi in February and saw children sleeping on the road. A few days later, she visited a friend who runs a fashion house and saw heaps of waste fabric of different sizes.
“That’s when I thought I could use braiding to make mattresses for the homeless. Braiding allows you to use every single bit of fabric of different sizes. Even the tiniest bit can be incorporated and everyone knows how to tie a plait,” said Lakshmi.
Menon’s shayya has been taken up by UN staff who will include it in a list of COVID innovative ideas that can be easily replicated.
Check out her project here.
If you enjoyed reading this article, we suggest you also read: