HYDERABAD: Fourteen women, who were earlier stitching jute bags and other such products, are now been stitching masks and PPE kits for the frontline Covid warriors since the lockdown. This activity is part of GMR Varalakshmi Foundation (GMRVF), the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of GMR.
The foundation’s project is being led from the front by a band of skilled women trained by GMRVF who are working across locations nationally in service of defending communities and the frontline COVID warriors.
The project is also giving the women the opportunity to generate income for their families even during the Covid economy downturn. Recently, they got a bulk order for PPE kits from Indian Surgicals and GMM Healthcare in Hyderabad. As per their specifications, two categories of Covid kits are being developed for these agencies. This include PPE gowns and entire PPE kit comprising of head caps, masks, full-length gowns, shoes-cover and hand gloves.
The raw materials are being provided by these agencies. So far over 6,000 PPE Kits have already been delivered to the agencies. These women are part of a larger group of over 600 GMRVF-trained women volunteers are developing masks for those who need them the most. These women work from their homes or respective centers abiding by all safety norms in place across the country stitching masks and PPE kits. GMRVF women are engaged in stitching masks, which are being widely used across hospitals and the pharma sector in Telangana.
They cater to the requirements based on the demands to produce single or two-layer masks and PPE kits. So far these women have stitched over 30,000 cotton masks (including single and double layered) since the lock-down. Out of this over 1,000 masks were recently provided to the office of Collector and District Magistrate, Ranga Reddy district in Telangana.
Over 6,000 masks were taken by the RGIA’s Notified Area Committee (NAC) for distribution to the frontline personnel working at the airport. GMRVF has also distributed these masks free-of-cost to the needy in adjoining villages such as Mamidipally, Gollapally etc. On an average, each women comes out with close to 10 PPE kits in a day thus as a team they are churning out about 150 kits every day.