SHG in Prayagraj engages women for making masks

PRAYAGRAJ : Women self-help groups (SHGs) are playing a crucial role in fighting the novel coronavirus in Prayagraj.

One such group of rural women has been brought together by Ekal Yuva, a group of under-45 good Samaritans associated with the NGO Ekal Abhiyan, which is helping tribal and rural women with a holistic and a sustainable approach.

“We run an Integrated Village Development Centre in Chaka development block of the district. Here we have roped in around 64 rural women of neighbouring villages who come to the centre in groups of eight and make cotton face masks using our sewing machines every day. Some women having their own machines also make these masks at their own homes. All these women have been given training for the work by our experts. They get paid Rs 3 per mask and earn around Rs 200 per day on an average depending upon the number of masks they stitch,” said Surabhi Sahai, president, Ekal Yuva.

Surabhi said Ekal Yuva organised two online events ‘Ekal-aChalo’ virtual Marathon and ‘Ekal Mahabharat Quiz’ during the lockdown period in which more than 700 participants from Prayagraj participated.

“The aim of these events was to raise funds for meeting the expenses of making the facemasks besides also procuring and distributing PPE kits, OPD gowns, face shields and other safety equipment for Corona frontline warriors. We have so far provided 150 kits to Prayagraj Nagar Nigam, 150 to MLN Medical College, 10 to Food and Drug Controller office, 20 OPD kits to Kamala Nehru Hospital Cancer ward besides some to rural village hospitals who contacted us for support and face shields to the district police,” she added.

Members, including women of Rotary Allahabad Midtown District 3120 are also doing their bit. They have already collected funds and donated 200 windcheaters to vendors at Bakshi Bandh, Prayagraj and organised a blood donation drive at United Medicity, Rawatpur in Jhalwa to ease shortage.

“Now the plan is to distribute 100 PPE kits to Kilkari Nursing Home and SRN Hospital besides also distributing sanitizers and facemasks to 200 residents of a slum in Arail, Naini area where we are working for the past two years,” shared Divya Bartaria, president, Rotary Allahabad Midtown.