Rajasthan, April 2, 2020: In an endeavour to aid the rural folk in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, a 28-year old woman is stitching masks for free and distributing them free of cost in her village. Hailing from Mavli village in the Panchawati circle of Udaipur, 28-year-old Sonu Gurjar had received training under the Initiative for Livelihood Education and Development (iLEAD) programme conducted by Aide et Action.
Her initiative has been appreciated by Bhupendra Singh Gurjar, Vice Sarpanch, Mavli Village, who is now helping her to procure material to make the masks. “There is a shortage of masks in our village. It is indeed commendable that the daughter of the village and her family members have come forward to support us to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Bhupendra Singh Gurjar, Vice Sarpanch, Mavli Village.
“I found that there is a shortage of masks in our neighbourhood. Since I know how to stitch, I began stitching the masks at home and distributing them free of cost among the needy. I am thankful to iLEAD programme of Aide et Action for honing my stitching skills as well as my village Sarpanch who arranged the cloth for making masks,” Sonu Gurjar said.
Sonu makes 50 masks daily. She has her family’s full support as she takes on this initiative. Her mother Kesar Devi Gurjar and sister-in-law Poornima Badgurjar have lent her a helping hand. They are also distributing the masks in the nearby residential areas and at check posts. She is targeting to make 2500 masks for free distribution in her village and surrounding areas.
“Sonu has undertaken a noble initiative. We are witnessing a testing time and only collaborative efforts can help us win the battle against COVID-19. Sonu’s example will inspire the youth to do their bit in tackling the menace. It is heartening that iLEAD trainees are giving back to society. iLEAD is our flagship initiative that focuses on livelihood generation for youth from underprivileged sections of the society. It is a holistic programme imparting not only skill development training but also soft skills, counselling, which has instilled immense confidence among the trainees,” said Dr Aishwarya Mahajan, Director, Livelihood Education, South Asia, Aide et Action International.