Fancy cap crafting makes them solvent
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Our Correspondent
RANGPUR, Dec 14: Thousand of rural women in the monga-prone villages under Kawnia upazila of Rangpur district have become self-reliant by making fashionable 'topee' (cap) in their homesteads.
About 3,500 vulnerable women are directly engaged in making stylish caps and they are supporting their families earning with about Tk 3000 every month.
MH Topee Factory, established by Hafez Abdul Awal of Khefati village under Balapara union of Kawnia upazila has created job opportunities for these vulnerable rural women.
Presently about 3,500 poor women are working at the factory. MH Topee Factory has earned reputation at home and abroad for making quality caps over the years.
The factory has been fetching export orders from traders of the Arab countries, especially Oman, and started exporting the item since 2006.
With growing demand abroad the operations of the factory have spread in all the villages of the upazila.
Now, thousand of women of Khefati, Changahat, Purbochandhat, Bhutchora, Sabadi, Harishar, Talukshabah, Nijpara, Madhupur, Bhayarhat, Kufirpar and Shibu villages under Kawnia upazila and Nabdiganj under Sadar upazila are working in the factory.
Marufa Begum (50), a widow at Harishor village, told FE that she had to face severe hardship along with her three children after the death of her husband. They had to pass days without meals.
Later, she went to MH Topee Factory and received training on sewing. Now she is working as a supervisor at the factory and earning Tk 3000 per month.
Sufia Begum (39) another poor woman at Khefati village said she received training on sewing at the factory. Now she is a skilled worker. She does embroidery work and makes designs according to the order of the factory. She Now earns Tk 300 for each cap.
Manager of the factory Khorshed Alam said, "We give the workers cloth, yarn and other inputs. After completion of work the supervisors collect the products from their houses. At present some 500 female workers are working in our factory. Of them, 50 were appointed as supervisers", he added.
Besides, about 3000 vulnerable women and female students of the upazila are earning by knitting 'topee' at their homesteads, the manager said.
A worker can knit three caps in a week and gets Tk 300 for a single piece, Khorshed Alam said.
On the other hand, a superviser gets Tk 30 per piece for supervising the work. There are at least ten workers under a supervisor, he noted.
Owner of the factory Hafez Abdul Awal told FE about Tk 450 is needed to makes a cap, including the carrying cost, while they are selling the item on an average of Tk 550 each.
About 500 caps are made in a week. They are exporting about 2500 pieces of caps in a month, he said. Hafez Abdul Awal said the demand for Topee increases during the month of Ramadan and on the eve of Hajj. They use quality caps with artistic designs to attract the foreign buyers, he said.
He, however said Pakistan exported the highest consignment of Topee to Oman last year. Bangladesh is second to Pakistan in this regard.
RANGPUR, Dec 14: Thousand of rural women in the monga-prone villages under Kawnia upazila of Rangpur district have become self-reliant by making fashionable 'topee' (cap) in their homesteads.
About 3,500 vulnerable women are directly engaged in making stylish caps and they are supporting their families earning with about Tk 3000 every month.
MH Topee Factory, established by Hafez Abdul Awal of Khefati village under Balapara union of Kawnia upazila has created job opportunities for these vulnerable rural women.
Presently about 3,500 poor women are working at the factory. MH Topee Factory has earned reputation at home and abroad for making quality caps over the years.
The factory has been fetching export orders from traders of the Arab countries, especially Oman, and started exporting the item since 2006.
With growing demand abroad the operations of the factory have spread in all the villages of the upazila.
Now, thousand of women of Khefati, Changahat, Purbochandhat, Bhutchora, Sabadi, Harishar, Talukshabah, Nijpara, Madhupur, Bhayarhat, Kufirpar and Shibu villages under Kawnia upazila and Nabdiganj under Sadar upazila are working in the factory.
Marufa Begum (50), a widow at Harishor village, told FE that she had to face severe hardship along with her three children after the death of her husband. They had to pass days without meals.
Later, she went to MH Topee Factory and received training on sewing. Now she is working as a supervisor at the factory and earning Tk 3000 per month.
Sufia Begum (39) another poor woman at Khefati village said she received training on sewing at the factory. Now she is a skilled worker. She does embroidery work and makes designs according to the order of the factory. She Now earns Tk 300 for each cap.
Manager of the factory Khorshed Alam said, "We give the workers cloth, yarn and other inputs. After completion of work the supervisors collect the products from their houses. At present some 500 female workers are working in our factory. Of them, 50 were appointed as supervisers", he added.
Besides, about 3000 vulnerable women and female students of the upazila are earning by knitting 'topee' at their homesteads, the manager said.
A worker can knit three caps in a week and gets Tk 300 for a single piece, Khorshed Alam said.
On the other hand, a superviser gets Tk 30 per piece for supervising the work. There are at least ten workers under a supervisor, he noted.
Owner of the factory Hafez Abdul Awal told FE about Tk 450 is needed to makes a cap, including the carrying cost, while they are selling the item on an average of Tk 550 each.
About 500 caps are made in a week. They are exporting about 2500 pieces of caps in a month, he said. Hafez Abdul Awal said the demand for Topee increases during the month of Ramadan and on the eve of Hajj. They use quality caps with artistic designs to attract the foreign buyers, he said.
He, however said Pakistan exported the highest consignment of Topee to Oman last year. Bangladesh is second to Pakistan in this regard.