HIV+ women find livelihood in Excel Blue
Source: The Sangai Express / Ng Liklaileima

Imphal, November 04 2008: "I've found my lost livelihood after a long time in Ningol Excel Blue" said a 33 year old woman living with HIV/AIDS in a voice full of confidence.

Ningol Excel Blue is a detergent powder manufactured by 27 women affected by HIV/AIDS under the sponsorship of AMADA.

Of the 27 women engaged in manufacturing the detergent power, 21 have lost their husbands.

One Memcha (name changed) living with HIV/AIDS said, "I was in different trades to survive after my husband died of AIDS in January 2002.I started with a Rs 500 per month job in an NGO.

But the job ended as the NGO's project completed.

The NGO was doing projects with funding from agencies based outside the State.

Women preparing Excel Blue

"To secure my livelihood, I attended different vocational courses.

But inability to purchase sewing machines and other equipment rendered my skill useless even as I had learnt tailoring, knitting etc".

"Above my constant worry for survival, I had a lurking fear whether I would be able to educate my child or not", Memcha recalled while rejoicing at the prospect of a secured livelihood provided by Ningol Excel Blue.

Notwithstanding tall claims of giving proper status to women in Manipuri society, many women have been suffering from domestic violence and harassment.

The harassment and mental agony suffered by women is more acute if their husbands had died or are addicted to drugs.

A similar fate befell Memcha too.

Not long after the expiry of her husband, all of Memcha's assets and money exhausted.

Then her own parents ostracised Memcha.

Soon after, her in-laws started abhorring her and wanted her to leave their house.

At present Memcha is staying with her 10 year child at the place of her aunt (her father's sister).

She said that the Ningol Excel Blue detergent powder is produced in a room of AMADA head office at Keishampat after importing the components from outside the State.

AMADA also take the responsibility of procuring raw materials as well as marketing the detergent powder.

Elaborating that soda, salt, acid, glycerine and perfume are the essential components of the Ningol Excel Blue, Memcha said that it is the duty of the AMADA Ningol Limited to mix the components proportionately to produce the detergent powder.

Two women can manufacture about 60 kgs of Ningol Excel Blue in a day.

Daily wage for manufacturing a crate containing 5 kgs of detergent is Rs 60, she said.

Talking about the Ningol Excel Blue, AMADA human resource secretary Bobo claimed that wages for the women workers will never be a problem nor would there be any interruption in producing the detergent powder.

A woman can as much as she can, he said.

Besides marketing in shops, the detergent powder is supplied to the MACS and to all the local councils of AMADA.

He further informed that more underprivileged women may be engaged in manufacturing the same detergent power in Bishnupur, Thoubal and Imphal East districts.

Saying that the words "Let us join hands to save our society from drugs, HIV and AIDS" embossed on the cover of the detergent packet also serve as a means of creating awareness among the people, another women said that the Ningol Excel Blue should not be taken as an entirely business enterprise. One Lata (name changed) whose husband had died of AIDS recounted of the hardships she encountered in her struggle to meet both ends when she did embroidery work on Phaneks before joining the AMADA Ningol Limited.

"After joining in manufacturing the detergent powder, I can now pay schools fees of my two children in addition to providing their basic requirements" said Lata with pride.

The Ningol Excel Blue was formally launched October 30 by Education Minister L Jayantakumar.

Despite such modest initiatives to provide economic security to women living with HIV/AIDS, the issue of HIV/AIDS infection remain a grave problem.

According to the sero surveillance report produced by MACS, 23,694 people including 7821 women were found HIV positive in the State till May this year.

So far, AIDS has claimed 4363 lives in Manipur.

Even as several programmes for treatment of HIV positive people have been taken up under NACO and MACS, there has been no initiative to provide any means of earning livelihood to the women living with HIV/AIDS either from the side of Government or NACO till date.

Nevertheless, there have been some modest initiatives to engage these underprivileged women in embroidery works, manufacturing incense sticks, preparing pickles etc.

But despite all these efforts, these women are still economically very insecure.