DAP Bandar Kuching-Sadia weaving course aims to empower Kpg Chawan Pendam womenfolk
KUCHING: The two-day weaving training course jointly run by the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Bandar Kuching Office and Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) at Kampung Chawan Pendam recently was meant to empower the village womenfolk in terms of marketing their finished products.
Conducted under the AllParty Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM)-Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), the programme had representatives from Sarawak Craft Council who came to oversee, advise and assist the villagers, said Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii.
“We hope to empower and connect them with the right agencies, and also for them to be able to seek assistance in matters pertaining to product marketing,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He believed that it was important to empower the villagers and guide them on means to generate more income and be self-reliant.
“Many of the men in the village work at the nearby factories or construction sites, but the majority of womenfolk are often at home.
“This is the objective of the programme – to teach them the skills that they apply at home and help their families earn extra income as well,” he said, adding that Kampung Chawan Pendam is among the settlements in the parliamentary constituency included under the initiative, meant to bring them out poverty.
“Since 2019, we have been working with the villagers to empower them and implement small initiatives focusing on their economy, health and of course, education.”
On the weaving course, Dr
Yii observed that the oldest participant was an 84-year-old woman.
On materials, he said: “I have been told that the ‘bemban’ (the reed used in making the traditional woven products) grows abundantly in the water catchment areas around the Batang Sadong area.”
Dr Yii said aside from the weaving course, other initiatives slated for the villagers included free medical screenings, training on financial literacy, free tuition for school-going children and free pre-school classes.
“We may be limited in resources, but we are doing our best in helping to empower them so that they, especially their children, could break out of the poverty cycle,” said the parliamentarian.