SEWING MASKS ENABLES LIVELIHOOD TO WOMEN IN RURAL AREAS

Bureau,Odishabarta

TALCHER:Since the nation-wide lockdown has come into effect in the light of Covid-19, providing financial support to families has become a struggle for many. With major sources of livelihood for masses in India is under certainty, it is facemasks which are coming to the rescue as a means of income generation. In this pursuit, Odisha’s largest power plant, NTPC Talcher Kaniha has been working persistently support women in villages around its Station.

Partnering with various Self-Help groups, NTPC Talcher Kaniha is providing raw material for stitching of face-masks which are then being procured by the Station for distribution among various stakeholders. This effort is not only making masks more accessible for people in rural areas but also ensuring an effective means of livelihood for many.

Pushpalata Sahoo of Mahamai SHG stitches around 300 masks every day and yet manages to work around her household chores for the day.  In total, women from four SHGs have been supplied with cloth material to stitch 10,000 reusable cloth face-masks which will be directly procured by NTPC Talcher Kaniha.

“With this lockdown, the usual stitching of ladies suits and blouses has stopped, so the sale of masks provides a stable source of income for me,” says Jashoswi Sahoo of Maa Tulsi Self Help Group in Bhimkand. Sewing machines and all necessary trainings were also provided to the women by the Station under its Corporate Social Responsibility for women empowerment. The masks are being distributed to contractual workers, sanitisation staff, villages and other stakeholders.

NTPC Talcher Kaniha has distributed over 12,000 masks to various front-line workers in and around its Station and continues to do so.