Sri Badrika Ashram’s recent revolution in the N-95 compliant masks made by seamstresses from the villages of Dudham and Kotla Barog, have now travelled far and wide to reach many deserving people across the country: from frontline workers and defence personnel to the economically disadvantaged.

The initiative is led by the ever-smiling and energetic Meenakshiji, lovingly called Nani by everyone at the Ashram. Single-handedly, she runs all the Silai Kendras, gently nudging the village women towards financial independence.

Kudos to them – 15,000 masks done, and we are still counting!

The North

  • Among our initial recipients were the staff and visitors at the Rajendra Hospital, at Patiala; Government Medical College and Hospital at Chandigarh; City Hospital in Haridwar; The Maharishi Markendeshwar Medical College, Kumarhatti; FH Medical College Hospital, Agra and the Sadhu Vaswani Charitable Hospital in Delhi.
  • Commanding officers of two fighter squadrons at the Airforce Station at Srinagar were delighted to receive our masks. With the increase in personnel on temporary duty, they were running out of masks and re-supply was also a major challenge. 
  • The 72 BN CRPF located at Rajouri and Poonch (J&K border) received 1000 masks for personnel and hospital staff at their 300 bed unit hospital for Covid 19 in-patients.

The South

  • The protective masks were distributed to a section of Pourakarmikas or Corporation workers, the Ovum Woman and Child Speciality Hospital, local workers and poor householders in Bangalore.
  • Ashram masks also reached workers at the tea estates and a resort hotel in Coonoor, plus slum children in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

The East

  • The Cavalry Division stationed at Doklam (near the Bhutan-Sikkim border) were recipients of 1000 masks.
  • In Motihari, Bihar, N.C.C. cadets celebrated Constitution Day and distributed the Ashram’s masks via a Foot Rally specially organised for this purpose. 
  • 10 battalions of 2000 cadets each, stationed in Khurja, Bulandshahr will receive 2500 masks to begin with. Given their numbers, they require 10,000 more.

The West

  • The Cavalry Divisions stationed at Ahmedabad in Gujarat received 1000 masks.
  • In Mumbai, about 350 masks were distributed at the three centres of Nana Palkar Smruti Samiti (NPSS). These were given to staff and patients from the low-income groups coming to Mumbai, from all over India, for prolonged treatment to hospitals like Tata Cancer and Research Centre and the K.E.M., Wadia Hospital for Children. 
  • Masks also reached Sreevatsa (home for differently-abled children run by TARA-SOFOSH), the Sadhu Vaswani Mission’s Medical Complex, the chain of Sahyadri Hospitals at Pune.
  • Earlier, the masks had also been distributed in Nagpur to  Jasleen Hospital and Kidney Center, Core Cardiac Center,  Sai Eye & Ortho Care Center, Mandhania Cancer Hospital, the Dangra Brain & Eye Care Center and Chinmay Children & Surgical Hospital.