Visakhapatnam: New skill to raise living standards

Visakhapatnam: The following month is going to be the busiest period for the women at Sampoorna, a rehabilitation centre for the physically challenged, as they will be trained in a new skill.

With the double-dye sanitary napkin manufacturing machine being set-up at the rehabilitation centre for the physically-challenged, 14 women will now get trained in making eco-friendly sanitary napkins.

Sourced from Rag Innovations, Bhopal, the unit plus material cost that lasts for the first 15 days is contributed by Rotary Club Visakha Port City. "It is the first-of-its-kind sanitary napkin with wings unit to be installed in Visakhapatnam. The club has invested Rs 2.3 lakh for the purpose. Of which, the unit cost alone is Rs 1.95 lakh," explains Captain RS Kali Prasad, president of the club.

This apart, the club is also facilitating training for the physically-challenged women at Sampoorna in the first week of February, involving resource persons from Bhopal.

In 2014, the centre had set up its first sanitary napkin manufacturing machine from Coimbatore-based A Muruganantham of Jayaashree Industries. "Since they are already exposed to the sanitary napkin making process, the new product with wings may not take much time for them to pick up," says Ch Satya, founder-president of Sampoorna. Once the unit operation commences, Satya says that the product will be made available at working hostels and educational institutions.

Currently, the existing machine produces about 7,000 sanitary napkins per month and they are being bought in bulk by Visakha Container Terminal Private Limited as a part of its corporate social responsibility initiative to distribute them to the needy girls.

Those working at the centre express confidence over marketing the new product which is going to be added to the list soon. "The pads with wings are sought-after among many women. With the demand for such napkins rising, we are sure to find an assured market for them," says V Raji, a differently-abled person at the centre.

Besides sanitary napkins, the centre has been providing skill development training to the differently-abled women in diya-making, jute bags stitching, soft toys making along with preparing savouries and pickles.