It is common knowledge that during the health crisis the protection of health workers has become a great necessity. Faced with this difficult situation, a large group of families in Bizkaia, including several from the school, have coordinated and set up a huge network of volunteers to make protective gowns.
It all began on 2 April when a message from a nurse at a major hospital in Bilbao reached a married couple at the school. On that day, the hospital had no waterproof gowns to wear and they were working in very harsh conditions. In response to this call, they set to work and began to organise a first network of contacts and families close to them. Along with the needs, a set of recommendations, a sample pattern and a tutorial link on how to make waterproof gowns out of rubbish bags and duct tape were sent out. Thus, families started to make their first units from home.
In full confinement, the best way to send them was via a taxi driver, so the company was contacted. Class Taxi Bilbao who, through his administrator and from the very beginning, volunteered with several other volunteers from the company in assist in transport by refusing to charge for journeys. On receiving the gowns, the expressions of gratitude and affection from the health workers were enormous.
During these first days of April, the needs were growing and already included some residences, so it became necessary to extend it to a greater number of volunteers and to enlarge the group of helpers. The request was passed on from close acquaintances to many other people and more families who wanted to help. They coordinated through various chats and got down to work, home by home, day by day... During the holy days and with most of the shops closed, the taxi drivers themselves had to deliver to many of the homes the materials acquired by a few people in order to be able to continue the work. Production had to continue. Demand was increasing.
The initiative had to be relaunched through the Gaztelueta Couples in Charge of the Course and various schools, when it was realised that there was still a need for gowns and that the demand was not being met. The response was excellent. Little by little and through the network, the needs of more places were collected and the number of old people's homes asking for help began to grow. To this end, we thought of the taxi drivers, the most efficient routes were designed to collect the material each day and take it to those working alongside the sick and elderly.
After 25 intense days, the more than 200 families managed to make more than 7,500 gowns and deliver them to various clinics and hospitals in Bizkaia along with more than 15 homes located in Bilbao, Getxo, Berango, Basauri, Leioa, Galdakao, Zierbena, Sopela, Barakaldo, Santurtzi and Zalla.
It is a work of solidarity and extends to many anonymous people, to many families, adults and children, good and supportive people who have contributed their small part to help many people in these difficult times.
