Women Empowerment Project in Myanmar

 

The efforts to find the dream of Myanmar women continue!

 

Since 2020, Seoul YWCA has been supporting income generation through vocational training for women in Thandaunggyi, Karen State, Myanmar and has provided trainings on women’s rights for gender equality.

In the midst of difficult circumstances such as the threat of COVID-19, soaring prices in the market and all the turbulences across Myanmar , we carefully restarted the Women’s Empowering Project to proceed with various vocational training as being planned.

From February to March, an advanced sewing course was held, which has been ongoing since 2020. By developing further from previous trainings, the participants made various sizes of cross-body bags, tote bags, and travel bags with using the traditional pattern fabrics of the Karen tribe in Myanmar. In order to lead to the actual sales and generate profits, they created bags of various designs by paying attention to each stitch.

In March, there was hotel service theory trainings. The participants learned front office reception, accounting, homestay with operating bed & breakfast and then went to ACME B & B to practice bedding, hygiene management, laundry, communication with customers, and complaint handling methods.

(a variety of vegetables available in the forest are steamed then pounded with some herbs and chillies and salt -- which is called " vegetable salad".)

 

The women participating in the training program felt duty bound to preserve and promote traditional cultures by making and tasting food and drinks of the Bwe-Karen tribe, who are one of the ethnic minorities in Myanmar. The participants look forward to introducing the Bwe-Karen culture to tourists in the future with pride. 

Please support this program all by your heart, the Bwe Karen ethnic women in Myanmar is  getting closer to their dreams through this project with Seoul YWCA and National YWCA of Myanmar.