The state governments are highly recommending their citizens to use face masks. As a result, the Block Offices in rural areas have been in contact with Amrita SeRVe Self-Help Groups (SHGs) who have been trained in tailoring and are able to fulfill the orders.  

The face mask stitching order was received in mid-April just after wheat harvesting was completed in Nani Borvai, Gujarat. The school principal had informed the block officer that there are women who know stitching and have been further trained by AMMACHI Labs.

This group of women, in the midst of all their other chores, made the time to do this urgent work. Throughout the year, they are receiving the milk deposits from the entire village twice a day at the women-run collection unit. There is also weeding in the fields and household work to do. Next comes sowing of pearl millet.

Agricultural work in the villages continues as one of the essential sectors. Strict precautions are taken for people entering or leaving, such as restrictions to non-residents and insistence on wearing of face masks.

Within a few days, six women prepared 820 masks. “The Block Office provided the fabrics and thread. It takes 2-3 minutes to cut and stitch one mask. In one day, I was able to stitch 100 masks,” says Amrita SeRVe village coordinator Seema Ben. The masks were handed over to school children.