Handmade in Nairobi using ethically sourced kitenge and natural unprocessed cotton, our facemasks are 5* rated, reusable and machine washable.
JOIN THE RECYCLING REVOLUTION
With each facemask you buy, you'll give an Eco Brixs visor made from recycled plastic to a frontline worker in Uganda to help reduce plastic pollution and the spread of Covid-19.
with every facemask set you buy, you'll donate a Covid visor made from recycled plastic to a frontline worker in Uganda and help reduce plastic pollution.
SHOP.
ABOUT.
HOW IT BEGAN...
namatovu was created during Covid-19 when Gee found herself in London lockdown after moving back from rural Uganda. Inspired by an incredibly talented Ugandan seamstress called Esther, coupled with a love for Ugandan culture and design, she decided to put the mountains of beautiful bold kitenge fabric she'd collected over the years to good use and began making reusable facemasks in the attic. With every facemask, a visor made from recycled plastic is then donated to a frontline worker in Uganda made by Eco Brixs, a charity addressing plastic pollution and creating jobs across East Africa.
Before long there were more masks than Gee could handle and with not enough fabric or time to make them, she called up Rob in Kenya for a helping hand. And as they say, the rest is history.
Rob now spends the majority of his time charging around Nairobi working on production to ensure we have a sustainable supply chain whilst Gee's helping steer the ship in London.
THE RECYCLING REVOLUTION
Covid has led to a surge in plastic pollution with each single use facemask taking 450 years to decompose and 194 billion disposable masks and gloves being disposed of worldwide every month. By using reusable facemasks made to last, we can help reduce this.
Our masks have popped up across the world from New York, to LA to Berlin and you can now find us in The Conduit, Goals House, The Africa Centre and various boutiques across London. We hope these pieces bring a smile and some colour to your day. Thanks for passing by and feel free to get in touch - you can join us on social @namatovu.design and find out more about Eco Brixs here
Gee and Rob
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namatovu (n): a word from the ngabi bushback clan in Uganda meaning antelope (and the name friends gave Gee whilst she lived in Uganda!)
WHO MADE YOUR MASK?
We believe that the products we buy have an impact on the people and planet around us. We also believe that business has the ability to help address some of the challenges our world is facing. This is why our masks are now handmade in Nairobi to support local employment and all of kitenge fabric is sourced ethically from small scale businesses. The backing on our masks uses unbleached, unprocessed cotton and our packaging is eco-friendly. We're not perfect and there's still a long way to go but every little counts.
5* REVIEWS.
