Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Animal loving Sarah Malas is rallying all fellow fur supporters in the kingdom to gather up old and used mascaras to donate to a wildlife sanctuary in the US that supports animals.
Wands for Wildlife is an initiative launched by the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, which is a small, nonprofit organisation managed by a dedicated group of individuals committed to helping wildlife.
The group coordinates the needs of wildlife rehabilitation in Western North Carolina by providing care for injured animals as well as support for the hundreds of orphaned wildlife staying at the facility.
The 25-year-old French national of Syrian origin watched a Wands for Wildlife video that was trending on social media and was moved by the concept.
“I personally think this is a great initiative by the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge because they’ve given everyone the opportunity to help cute animals and the environment by reusing something that usually gets thrown away,” said Sarah.
“They gather old mascara wands to help keep the fur and feathers of wildlife animals clean. Mascara wands work great because the bristles are close together and are soft on the animals’ skin.
“The reason I’m participating in this campaign is that I’d like to contribute to helping wildlife animals (even if it’s just by donating some mascara wands) and honestly, it’s a very creative way to help. A lot of people have also mentioned that it’s a great initiative because they get to help by simply donating old mascara wands.”
The big-hearted brand manager, who graduated from the University College of Bahrain majoring in graphic design in 2011, put up stories and posts on her Instagram account to raise awareness about the campaign and her rally cry resulted in her collecting 26 wands with more promised to come.
Sarah added: “I think it’s awesome that a lot of people are supporting the initiative and are as equally excited as I am about how the mascara wands can be re-used.”
The old mascara wands are used to remove fly eggs and larva from fur and feathers. Since the campaign started years ago, it has received tremendous support. As a result of the heart-warming outpouring of wands, the refuge accepts donations twice a year in October and February. Before mailing the mascaras, people have been requested to wash the wands in warm soapy water to remove residual mascara.
Sarah hopes she will have collected a large enough amount to send and is currently contacting courier companies to see if they are interested in sponsoring the shipment. Otherwise, she is ready to ship out the containers of compassion herself.
She also believes that Bahrain should carry campaigns such as this. “I believe Bahrain is already taking steps towards being eco-friendly so having initiatives like this will encourage everyone to keep going the extra mile for animals and the environment. Initiatives like this also help show us how items can be re-used rather than just thrown away and help us think outside the box with the supplies we have.”
Please contact @sarah_malas on Instagram to donate mascaras.
