Even as the Covid pandemic has battered many lives across India, some have turned this crisis into an opportunity. One such person is Farooq Alam of Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.
Two years ago, Alam was an employee at a private firm in Delhi, but today he provides self-employment to 30-35 people in his Bangra Sugauli village. Alam, 36, went to seek a job in Delhi four to five years back after he failed to secure employment in his state.
Alam told IANS: "After the outbreak of the first Covid wave and the subsequent lockdowns, I had contacted people from Ramgarhwa, Raxaul, and Harsidhi areas, who were my fellow workers in Delhi, and then we decided to turn the crisis into opportunity by making readymade garments in my village itself. They too agreed to my proposal and we started our business with five sewing machines."
Alam is now planning to expand the factory. Pixabay
He added that currently, his factory has 30 sewing machines and many other machines, which are used for making readymade clothes. He said that after that the demand for his clothes was from Delhi, Kolkata, and Guwahati. Alam said that amid the lockdown due to the second Covid wave, he got an order for 10,000 masks. He added that today there are 30 to 35 people working in this factory.
Shamshad, who works in this factory, said: "Today, we are all getting work in the village only because of the mercy of Allah, what can be better than this." Alam said that they are now planning to expand the factory. (IANS/SP)