June 28, 2021: While some women are busy protesting against the government’s eligibility criteria for a micro-finance loan waiver, there are some like Sabita Changmai of Sarupathar in upper Assam who are focused and busy with their business of making mekhela chador and gamocha and catering to the national market.

Changmai, a resident of Tengabari village in Sarupathar, has been into weaving and working on the loom since her childhood.

But at a time when most people have been battling the COVID pandemic, Changmai managed to rope in four more women and in just a year (since 2020) not just start a decent business but she and her team are now selling her products in Rajasthan and other parts of India.

Changmai is now a self dependent woman and she is helping other too to become economically independent.

“The demand for the products is very high. We are thinking of employing few more people to meet the demand”, Sabita said.

She has started a handloom and a weaving industry in her home in last year and has installed jacquard flower picking machines.

Sabita along with her 5 other women weaves a variety of mekhela chador, Gamocha and other fancy clothing.

One cannot just ignore Changmai to a woman from some village of Assam. She managed to tap the market outside Assam by going online using the social media platform.

The women are happy to be able to support their children and their families and are hoping that they would be able to established their business in a bigger way in the coming days.