Martha Urai Laeng may be disabled but that does not stop her from dreaming of a better life and being financially independent.

That dream drove the 36-year-old to enrol with an embroidery workshop recently.

Martha cannot walk as her legs are paralysed. She needs a wheelchair to move around.

She is the only one with special needs in a group of 30 participants comprising mostly single mothers from Baram parliamentary constituency.

The workshop aims to empower women with skills such as embroidery.

It is organised by the Women Development Department in the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and the Women Bureau of the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation under the Excellent Hands 2008 programme, which was a hit with women in the country.

There were calls for the ministry to increase the number of participants in future workshops.

Telang Usan assemblyman Lihan Jok said the workshop gave indigenous women in his constituency the opportunity to learn new income-generating skills.

But they have to be enterprising enough to start small businesses that sell their products.

“In a borderless world, our women should think global about marketing their products, especially the Labuci design which has the potential of making dresses fashionable and beautiful,” Lihan said at the closing ceremony for the workshop.

It was attended by chairperson of the Baram parliamentary council for women development and family, Elizabeth Deng; chairperson of Limbang Council for Women Development and Family, Datin Mariam Balan and Freda Mujan Jok, wife of assemblyman Lihan Jok.

Elizabeth commented that Martha may be disabled but has an independent spirit.

Martha has been attending the Eda Beran community-based centre since 2003.

“She applied to attend a sewing course in Kota Samarahan next year through the Welfare Department,” Elizabeth revealed.

Borneo Post Online - By Lucas Jalong Bato

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