A tailoring shop, run by five women in Samdrup Jongkhar town who recently started making face masks sold 400 face masks in just five days.
The women who attended a yearlong tailoring training course at the Community Learning Center in Samdrup Jongkhar Middle Secondary School learned to make face masks from online video tutorials.
They said that they first made a sample and shared it with local health officials. Based on the health advice, they now stitch double-layer face mask using good quality cotton fabric.
Between the five of them, they produce 100 face masks a day, and sell it at Nu 40 per mask.
One of the women, Sangay Choden, said that they are making the face masks to help prevent coronavirus outbreak. “Few of them come here to buy the face mask but most of our masks are sold in the hospital.”
Another woman, Pema Tshomo, said that she wasn’t able to contribute anything to the country during the current situation. “ So I decided to make facemask and I am proud of it.”
Meanwhile, since June 11 the COVID-19 taskforce of Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag has made it mandatory to use a face mask while visiting hospitals, vegetable markets, and shopping centers in the town. DeSuups are strictly monitoring compliance.
Kinley Wangchuk