Refuge for abused women in Malaysia

At the end of 2015, WAO initiated a pilot Social Entrepreneurship Project under the Women's Programme which aims to empower women to become more financially independent. The project equipped women in the shelter with the necessary skills to generate additional income for her and her family.

For the first stage, the Social Entrepreneurship Project will only last for three months to gauge interest of the residents. A sharing session was conducted with them to explain the project. A Social Worker also brought the women to attend regular sewing workshops to learn basic sewing skills. We also encourage them to make decisions on the type of products they would like to make, source for inspiration and purchase required materials and supplies. They were guided by the Programme Officer but also made efforts to communicate with each other for support and motivation.

The residents produced beautiful fabric bags, purses, fashion accessories such as bracelets and necklaces and hair accessories. The opportunity to market these products arrived when we were invited by the Association of British Women in Malaysia (ABWM) to set up a booth at their annual Christmas Charity Bazaar. The women introduced the items they made and had a great time having conversations with their customers.

We are happy to note that the Project that was meant to provide the residents with a small income also became a platform that helps rebuild their self confidence and communication skills. They showed progress and were keen to continue the project.