Owner of welfare organisation passionate about training young women to earn a living. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Danapakiyam Arumugam holds firm to this adage and has been helping young mothers find their way through difficult times. Through her welfare organisation, Sincere Women Welfare Organisation of Selangor (PKWIS), she places emphasis on training the young women to earn a living. However, the task to help set these women on their own two feet can be difficult because of limited resources. The centre provides skills training such as tailoring, cooking, handicraft-making, baking, hairstyling and beauty care. These practical skills can open up business opportunities for these women. We are looking for start-up supplies such as beads, handicraft materials, bridal products as well as pedicure and manicure equipment, said Danapakiyam. The start-ups, she said, would help them generate income for the centre and provide a platform for the young women to learn a trade. We do not want them to be dependent on others, nor do we want to depend on funds from the public. The single mothers learn the skills and leave us to find their own wealth, she said. Danapakiyams independent streak stems from her own inspirational tale as a single mother. She learnt the importance of self reliance, she said, after being tossed out on the streets when her husband left her and their three children for another woman. Danapakiyam was pregnant with their fourth child at the time. I found the courage to work and was at a home in Malacca, caring for the mentally disabled. There I met so many people in need, especially single mothers and the elderly. I felt like I needed to help them because I was once in their shoes, she said. She managed to realise her dream after she met some businessmen who offered to finance her Sincere Care Home in Kajang. She began accepting residents from the Mentally Disabled Children Care Centre in Malacca where she was previously employed. Families who can afford to pay are charged a nominal fee. Unable to foot the bills and take more residents, Danapakiyam formed PKWIS with the help of several women while Sincere Home cares for the elderly. Today, sitting in her office, Danapakiyam is happy to see other single mothers finding solace in her home. I want to continue doing this but our organisation needs all the help we can get, she added. For details on PKWIS, visit pkwis.org.my/residents or call 03-8734 8242. Source: The Star
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 09:06:22 +0000
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