Even the untrained but skilled hands are contributing whatever they can to fight this dreadful battle in India.
In this context, let us take example of Rajasthan where a tribal belt is speaking all different story with around 700 tribal women busy stitching PPE kits for corona warriors in Dungarpur.
This is a small tribal town where a rainwear company has been allotted a task to make 1 lakh PPE kits by the union textile ministry.
Deenbandhu Trivedi, owner, New Zeel Rainwear, says that the company had set up a priority to hire widow, divorcee and single women to ensure they remain self dependent during COVID-19 times.
Hence, we hired 700 women who were trained by us a few months back under skill development programme.
As these women resided in Banswara, a town situated 50 km ahead of Sagwada, we gave them a pick and drop facility as there is no source of transportation available in the country during lockdown.
Now, these women are earning Rs 9500 a month here which is decent enough for their survival, he adds.
“When the union textile ministry ordered us to manufacture one lakh PPE kits, we went in dilemma which was from where to bring a skilled staff.
We wanted to give a quality work while helping the women at the same time. Hence, we decided to select the tribal women in Banswara.
“Our vehicles now bring them daily from home and drop them back. We also distribute free of cost lunch to them,”
We have a trained technical staff which has been guiding them in each step. We have made them aware that after cutting and stitching, the kits need to be tapped so that the PPE kit becomes water and air proof. The tribal women are quick to have learnt the art, he says.