Gifts that come with a cleanliness message
KOTA KINABALU: Two women have come together to create Christmas gifts that are not just unique but promote good hygiene among children.
Norkarmila Khairul Ariffin, 33, and Amy Yong, 32, made soap bars with Christmas-themed Lego figures as a way of educating children to always wash their hands.
Norkarmila, whose brand is called “ByMielaCarmiela”, said she provided the mini figures while Yong crafted the soap.
“We intended for this to be a Christmas gift to educate children to be more hygienic.
“The more they use the soap to wash their hands, the faster they will get to the toy. This makes washing hands exciting for them,” she said.
Norkarmila also turns the mini figures into accessories. Her items have been sold to customers as far as Brunei, Indonesia and Thailand.
“The soap bars have been very popular among the customers. But they also are drawn to my other handmade accessories,” she said.
Yong, whose brand is known as “Amy’s Artistry”, said the Christmasthemed soap bar was appealing not only to children, but also grown-ups.
“This soap bar is made of natural products. It is environmentally friendly. It’s good for people allergic to ingredients used in soaps that are marketed commercially,” she said.
Norkarmila and Yong were among the artisans who were invited to showcase their work at a Christmas market organised by local shop Avanus, located at the International Technology and Commercial Centre in Penampang.