With the manufacture of 46,300 face masks Clothing companies in six municipalities in northwestern Colombia have resumed work to overcome the economic crisis, save jobs and contribute to the fight against COVID-19 with the donation of these protection elements.
The initiative began in Bajo Cauca as part of “Tapabocas for Life”, a strategy that seeks to safeguard health and economically reactivate the clothing sector in that region hit by violence and illegality.
After facing a period of closure due to the pandemic, businessmen from Caucasia, Tarazá, El Bagre, Cáceres, Nechí and Zaragoza started their machines again to join this project promoted by the “Alianza Avancemos Bajo Cauca” in articulation with the Fund Embracing with Love, Texmaquila and the Antioquia Governorate.
The manager of the alliance, Diana Arismendy, explained to Efe that the strategy was initially focused on protecting the population from the virus with the free delivery of masks, but it became “an opportunity to reactivate” the clothing sector in Bajo Cauca .
“It is a two-way strategy,” said Arismendy, noting that with its implementation they have managed to keep about 95 jobs in six companies.
Participants transformed the productive vocation of their companies, they also trained in biosafety protocols and certified their work processes and products before the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (Invima).
The Bajo Cauca Alliance, which heeded the call of the Antioquia Government to implement the initiative in that region, is made up of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Mineros SA and Fundación Mineros, Comfama and Interactuar.
Arismendy pointed out that starting to produce these protection elements allowed “breaking paradigms” and showing that in regions like Bajo Cauca “there are entrepreneurs who have been strengthening for years and who can respond”, even in complex situations.
This health and business strengthening initiative, financed by the private and public sectors, has an investment of 152 million pesos ($ 41,000 today).
VISIBILIZE COMPANIES
Adriana Patricia Sierra lived a few months of bewilderment and concern when she sent her 15 workers home and stopped the operation of a 25-year-old company due to the restrictions imposed in Colombia to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
He explored on other fronts to try to save Enemar Confecciones, a company recognized in Caucasia for manufacturing uniforms for schools and equipment for companies.
“It was very difficult to sustain,” the entrepreneur, who faces the crisis with the opportunity to manufacture 7,600 face masks to take a “new impulse” and ease finances, told Efe.
For her, this project represents a “big window” for her company and the population of Caucasia, which has been “so badly hit by different situations”, since she believes that gaining visibility and training will lead to having large companies as clients.
“We were in hiding, but now we are going to make ourselves known,” Sierra said, noting that he learned to manufacture certified face masks, to quote, take out costs, present work proposals and give added value to his products.
BIGGER IMPACT
The Director of Internationalization of the Antioquia Government, Daniela Trejo, explained to Efe that the “Tapabocas for Life” strategy is much more ambitious, as it sets a goal to deliver four million masks to “impact 100% of the population” of the department .
“When the use of the mask was declared mandatory, we realized that we had to climb and reach all the subregions,” said the official, who indicated that the purpose is to provide reusable mask for the entire economically active population.
With the slogan of “safeguarding the life and health of all Antioquia people,” he began a process of articulation with the textile, clothing and fashion cluster to work with companies that manufactured clothing, but which made a “productive reconversion” and began to produce medical supplies for the contingency.
With them they began a process “from scratch” to learn what the production and manufacture of these protection elements was like under the guidelines required by the Ministry of Health.
GO FOR LOCAL
Trejo pointed out that they saw it “relevant” to do all the making and manufacturing of these masks locally to boost the department’s economy.
“We have distributed more than 800,000 masks, and 100% have been made in Antioquia. We impacted around 2,500 direct and indirect jobs and reactivated more than 250 companies and clothing workshops,” he assured.
The official pointed out that entrepreneurs will be certified to continue “being the suppliers of the area and that large companies that have to make purchases for the protection of their workers do so locally.”
For Marcela Marín, coordinator of the Hugging with Love Fund, created by the Mayor of Medellín and the EPM Foundation to protect life during the emergency by COVID-19, it has been “very pertinent” to carry out interventions such as that of Bajo Cauca to “generate employment and give added value to the masks “through an institutional synergy.
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