This Group Of Women From Telangana Earned Rs 30 Lakh During This Pandemic By Stitching And Selling Masks
This pandemic has touched all our lives. Whether we have contracted the virus or not, every single person has been impacted one way or another. While some are struggling to get adequate medical help for themselves or their families others are doing all that they can to keep their businesses afloat. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their livelihoods. Businesses have failed and the finance sector has taken some major blows. However, amid all this chaos and mayhem there is a self-help group of women in Telangana that has become an inspiration. They rose to the occasion and earned a whopping amount of money by stitching and selling masks. How amazing is this?
This self-help group from Telengana’s Narayanapet district set a record by earning an income of Rs 30 lakh during this COVID 19 crisis. While most businesses, especially startup’s, grapple to survive this women-led organization has managed to turn this pandemic into an opportunity. And not in a bad way. They spent the lockdown stitching masks to cater to the needs of various sects of people.
With the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) guidelines and a 30 lakh investment by the Narayanapet Collector Harichandana, these women managed to create over 6 lakh masks. They managed to not only break even but also earn Rs 25 to 30 lakh.
Wishes on #NationalHandloomDay2020 🙏
SHG #women of Team GWMC make beautiful reusable masks from #Telangana #Handloom . Available in GWMC head office for sale.@KTRTRS@arvindkumar_ias@cdmatelangana#ikat #Kalamkari #MaskIndia #CovidWarriors #SHG https://t.co/sV6DQs83I2 pic.twitter.com/tNEcVpAE5x
— Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (@MC_GWMC) August 7, 2020
Also Read: In Gujarat, 500 Women Took Out A Religious Procession And Flocked To A Temple Maskless To Eradicate COVID 19.
According to reports, the self-help group employs around 3,000 women who stitch masks in a multitude of designs, patterns and colours to meet the market standards. From Ikkat to pure silk, these women can stitch all kinds of masks. Not only are these women great at stitching, but they have also managed to create a large network of customers. All thanks to the power of social media, besides getting huge orders for designer masks, they supply to government organisations, IT companies, trade organisations and local social actors. They have also received orders from large organizations such as the Hyderabad Metro Rail, Ficci and Ramky. These women also cater to a few celebrities like Vijay Devarkonda, Tabu, Farah Khan and others. That’s not all. Upon consultation with Ayurvedic doctors, these women also make Ayurvedic masks.
After having stitched over 6 lakh masks, it’s not difficult for them to cope with the surging demand during this second wave. The self-help group has named their brand, ‘Aarunya’. Apart from masks, these women have also started selling bamboo products, anjira, and homemade pickles.
These women are now looking to move their business of making masks to a workspace of their own so that they can produce masks and other products on a larger scale. The construction of a Skill Development and Training Center has already begun. The building will have a hall for the women’s organisation, a studio to get publicity for Aurunya branded masks and products and even accommodation for a DRDA office.
What these women have accomplished is a testament to the great things that women can do if they’re just given the opportunity. Kudos to this group for employing these women and giving them the platform to build their own brand of masks. These have accomplished an impressive feat!
