Hyderabad: Making face masks to eke out living

Hyderabad: A non-governmental organisation, Shine NGO, has joined efforts to make and distribute masks, given their importance in staving off the dreaded Covid-19. It is already engaged in providing livelihood opportunities to marginalised women. Now, she is involving them in producing face masks, which also affords some livelihood during lockdown period. The NGO says it has brought together 10 women and there have made more than 5,000 masks till today.

CH Parameshwari , founder of SHINE NGO, said, "These masks are not only ensuring protection from the infection but also providing a means of livelihood to the marginalised women. Due to lockdown, many daily wage workers have lost their job. So our NGO has taken an initiative to provide work to 10 women in stitching masks. These women received vocational training from our organization last year and materialist support is also provided by our NGO.

Each woman is stitching around 70 masks daily." Around 5000 masks have already been supplied to medical shops and each one costs Rs 10. Around 3,000 mask were distributed free of cost to the sanitary workers and police officials. "By stitching these masks, I have earned Rs 2,000 so far.

Sale of the masks has become a means of livelihood during this lockdown period. Before lockdown, I used to earn some money by stitching cloth but due to lockdown, people stopped giving me orders. The NGO has provided me the opportunity to earn some money by stitching masks," said a grateful Sujatha.