Rural women entrepreneurs manufacture protective to check COVID-19 infection

Women entrepreneurs under Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ASRLM), Dibrugarh has come up for supporting the fight against COVID-19 by manufacturing cloth masks at the household level. Around 163 women registered in 83 different Self Help Groups (SHGs) under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) is presently engaged in mask production in the District. Each of the members has a swing machine and they have the capacity to produce around 8,150 nos. of mask in total in a day.

The demand for masks within the local market has led to an acute shortage of raw materials. The District Administration has allowed them to connect with vendors and get the required materials for producing masks. The price of a mask range from Rs. 15/- to 25/-. The ASRLM, Dibrugarh has launched the ASOMI mask on 25th April 2020. The mask is made of double-layer cotton cloth with elastic type band and ASOMI mark in it.

ASOMI is the trademark of all products made by Self Help Group members under ASRLM. It is registered under the Trade Mark Act of 1999. ASOMI is an amalgamation of alphabets as follows: A= Atmo (Self), SO = Sohayok (Help), M= Mahila Gootor (Women Group), I = Identity (Porichoy). The brand has been covering both farm and non-farm products produced by the SHG members under ASRLM since January 2020.

Also Read: COVID-19: Centre flags dearth of equipment; UP, Bihar & Assam report most shortages

Also Watch: Veterinary College in Guwahati creates hand sanitizers to fight the shortage of Sanitizers in Assam