Kelta women sew up a living

By YVONNE HAIP
WOMEN in Kelta, a rural community just outside Mt Hagen, Western Highlands, want better living standards and provide the best for their family.
As housewives and subsistence farmers, they realised the need to venture out of gardening and look at other ways of making money.
Although the women were contracted to supply vegetables to mining companies and large supermarkets throughout the country, they realised they had to have skills training on something they could turn to when tired of gardening.
As a result, they liaised with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded Skills Development Trust Fund (SDTF) and graduated on Monday with sewing skills.
It was surprising for neighbouring communities because Kelta was a model village in that part of the province because the people had access to clean water through a self-initiated water supply project and a rural electrification programme was under way.
But this group of women decided to take up sewing.
Kelta Catholic Women’s group leader, Elis Peter, said having skills was an essential part of life, especially for rural women.
She said for them, money made from selling their crops was used for necessities and clothing was one of those.
“Much of our money is used to buy clothes but now we can make own, which means that we can save more money,” she said.
“We are happy with the training we have received and know that during our free time, we will sew clothes for our family as well as some for selling.”
SDTF coordinator Mark Atip said the programme was all about empowering rural people through skills training that would ensure maximum benefit.
SDTF has its trainers and this year funded 40 programmes in Jiwaka and Western Highlands.
Its programmes include piggery, poultry and vegetable farming and various trades such as carpentry, sewing and cooking among others.