Mum: Wives are bread winners too

THE long perceived theory that men are the only bread winners for the family is no longer true.
Centra Thomas, a mother who graduated with certificate in textile (sewing), said: “Today, we cannot wait for our husbands to provide everything for the family.
“Both mother and father can work together to be breadwinners through the skills that we learnt and apply to help sustain the family.
“For too long we have been relying on our husband, thinking women couldn’t work to sustain their family.”
Mrs Thomas said now that they had acquired skills on how to sew clothes, they were determined to work hand in hand to provide and sustain their family.
Mrs Thomas was among 12 other mothers from the Seventh-Day Adventist church who underwent an intensive two-week training on textile or tailoring skills at the Kurki in the Anglimp sub-district of Western Highlands province.
She said her fellow mothers were delighted to have acquired the skills that would enable and empower them to sustain themselves.
Speaking at a mini-graduation, training facilitator and specialist skills development trust fund officer for Asian Development Bank of Western Highlands secretariat Mark Atip said he was delighted the mothers had successfully completed the skills development training.
“Our primary aim is to impart the skills and facilitate the programme so that mothers can be skilful and self-reliant in order to sustain their family and improve their livelihood,” Mr Atip said.
Representatives from the provincial government and the administration, James Emere and Steven Moka, said the provincial government’s focus was on human development.
“We are focusing on human development more than on other infrastructure development. But the government will continually support the skill development training,” Mr Moka said, urging mothers to make the best of their newly-acquired skills and to impart their knowledge to others.
More than 3,000 women have benefited from the ADB programme.