Upa Hanis.
Aliza Morshidi.
Fudillah Syurie.
Summer Ngu Yung Chai.
KUCHING: The Handmade Market programme running at Hills Shopping Mall from May 18-22 proves to be a great platform for entrepreneurs to market their products and promote local cultures at the same time.
Organised by Persatuan Seni Jahitan Kreatif (PSJK) and Epal Handicrafts Training Centre, the programme features 17 women entrepreneurs, most of them single mothers, the needy, and mothers of children with disabilities.
It aims to expose the participants to the entrepreneurship field, improve their socio-economic status, and help expand their businesses locally and abroad.
Upa Hanis, Aliza Morshidi, Fudillah Syurie and Summer Ngu Yung Chai, all students of Epal Handicrafts Training Centre, are participating in the programme.
Upa, 47, told The Borneo Post yesterday that participating in the programme was truly an eye-opener, and she hoped more business opportunities would come her way.
“To support recycling, I chose used jeans to produce different kinds of products, including bags, clothes, pencil boxes, pillowcases, and also ‘tampung seribu’ of thick cloth with good quality.
“I really did not expect that my products made with used jeans would have such an overwhelming response.
“The uniqueness of my product is that it is the ‘Only One’,” said Upa, who has been in the craftmaking industry for three years after she received a sewing machine as a present from her husband, who got it from the 1 Azam programme in 2014.
She then pursued an 8-day sewing course organised by Kuching Epal Handicraft Training Centre.
Aliza, 31, who has been involved in the sewing field since she was little, said the programme enabled her to promote her scarves to a wider market.
“Prior to this, sewing was just a hobby. Although I had dreamt of opening my own sewing business, I was stopped by lack of time and capital.
“In 2013, I decided to start a business selling scarves sewn by me after getting a M744D sewing machine from Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development Unit (UPUB). With the sewing machine, my range of products grew. I then started to learn to sew using a side cutter sewing machine at Kuching Epal Handicraft Training Centre.”
The products produced by Aliza are scarves, marketed with her own brand S.H.O.H.W.A.H.
Fudillah, 29, honed her in sewing skills at Kuching Epal Handicraft Training Centre.
She said the Handmade Market programme helped to promote her Muslim veils and prayer mats to a wider market.
Ngu, 35, regards the Handmade Market programme was godsend, including expanding her income.
“In 2014, Epal Handicraft Training Centre held an exhibition at Plaza Merdeka. Looking at the interesting stitches, I decided to buy a multi-function sewing machine.
“I was introduced to the Handmade Market this year, and I immediately signed up to become one of its pioneers,” said Summer, who chose ‘Pua Kumbu’ to produce bags, handbags, pencil boxes, clothes and scarves.
“I feel very proud of my products.”
During the five-day programme, craft enthusiasts can feast their eyes on a wide range of products and also participate in exciting activities, like sewing tissue pouches and making Recycle Banner baskets.
The Handmade Market, which is opened from 10am to 10pm, was officiated at by Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah during the state-level Handmade Market held at CityONE Megamall on April 13.
The programme will be held at CityONE Megamall again from June 22 to 26.