Tipperary direct provision centre resident to donate face masks to nursing home

A sewing enthusiast living at Carrick-on-Suir’s Bridgewater House Direct Provision Centre plans to donate about 30 cloth masks she has made to a local nursing home. 

Maka Nizharadze, a native of Georgia, will donate the masks to the staff and residents of Greenhill Nursing Home based on Carrick-on-Suir’s Pill Road over the next week.  

The mother-of-four has been sewing cloth masks for fellow residents of the centre for asylum seekers and refugees off Carrick's Main Street since the Covid-19 pandemic crisis began three months ago. 

Bridgewater House community liaison officer Martina Walsh paid tribute to Maka for making this generous donation to Greenhill Nursing Home. 

She said Maka was a keen seamstress and very artistic. 

Martina pointed out that the Friends of Bridgewater House Committee has secured funding from Tipperary County Council's Covid-19 Emergency Fund to purchase eight sewing machines and material for the direct provision centre’s residents.  

“We plan to purchase the sewing machines in the next few weeks and will be running general sewing classes for the residents of  the Bridgewater House. 

“It’s a skill the residents always have an interest in and the machines will be there for the residents to use.” 

Friends of Bridgewater House is  a support group that helps to integrate the direct provision centre's residents into the wider community. 

It organises cultural events along with activities and trips for Bridgewater House’s children and runs fundraising events  to pay for   these activities.