Eid Update
Differently-abled women craft a new future
As Eid inches closer, differently-abled female workers at Pratibandhi Mohila Club (club for women with disabilities) are busy meeting the huge demand for their handcrafts.
The club, at Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Road at Shaheeb Quarter Park area, is run by Pratibandhi Community Center (Center for people with disabilities), Mymensingh at Kanchijuly in the town.
The products made at PMC are three pieces, fatua, baby dress, pillow, cushion and bed covers; punjabi, coin-purse, mobile purse, side bags, college bags, nakshi kantha and more. The price of the products range from Taka 150 to Taka 350.
A total of 30 disabled women work at the club.
Tahmina Akhtar Minu, in-charge of PMC said that the handicrafts made by the workers are in great demand, more so during festivals.
There are also two branches of PMC at Muktagacha and Char Kalibari in sadar upazila with twenty nine disabled women worker at the two centres. Chumki Biswas, assistant in-charge of PMC said that the products of the club go to different parts of the country, including chic shopping malls in Dhaka. The products are also sent to the USA, France, Holland, Italy, England and India on various occasions.
“We have received an order from Japan for side bags and purse and we plan to deliver the products after Eid,” said Chumki. “Visitors from overseas also come to the club on different occasions and buy our handicrafts for their near and dear ones,” she added.
Jesmin, a 42-year-old disabled woman said, she earns a handsome amount working at the club. “Our income increases before festivals,” said Jesmin, a mother, who has been at the club for 12 years.
Afroza, 22, a girl from Nutun Bazar area of the town, works at the center as ‘design helper’. “As a disabled girl I had lost the will to live, but now I feel honoured when our products are appreciated everywhere,” said Munni.
-With The Daily Star input
