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A Voice For the Voiceless

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The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

Partners > Community-based P... > Asia > eHomemakers > Salaam Wanita

Salaam Wanita

Salaam Wanita was launched in 2002 to help disadvantaged women lead more independent lives through technical skills training. Based in the Ipoh and Klang Valley of Malaysia, Salaam Wanita helps 120 women in computer skills, handicrafts, business management and administrations. The flagship project was initiated by Chong Sheau Ching, founder of the award-winning eHomemakers network.

Salaam Wanita Women

eHomemakers' Anna Robless discusses a basket order with two Salaam Wanita women.

The majority of women who work with Salaam Wanita are poor and live alone or with family who depend on them for care. Others are the sole providers of chronically ill family members and cannot pursue full-time jobs. Many suffer from debilitating diseases and may be homebound due to medical or physical limitations. 

 

The women receive little monetary support from assistance programs, and it is not uncommon for women to be disowned by their families because of their illness.

 

Their inability to find work is due to many factors, including lack of employable skills (i.e. computer skills) and unfamiliarity with the job-seeking process.  Others have been unable to get jobs because of discrimination in the workplace against illnesses they have, such as HIV/AIDS.

One of Salaam Wanita's women runs a small catering business.  Read Jasmine's Story.

Sheau Ching believes this broad group of women should not be victimized as a result of these circumstances.  Working directly with these special women, the project teaches them employable skills for jobs and steps towards starting home-based businesses. 

 

Women can interact with people from the eHomemakers network to find jobs or participate in forums and seminars that help raise their self-esteem.  Many find that the most valuable thing they gain is their ability to form connections with other Salaam Wanita women who share their experiences.

 

The skills that the women acquire are diverse.  They range from learning how to type, cook, and translate, to starting their own businesses.  Women can also learn handicraft design by opting into Salaam Wanita's innovative eco-basket project.

Eco-baskets for Sale

An Ipoh woman weaves the base of a basket with paper tubes strengthened with wire.

 

Eco-baskets are one way in which women can earn an income and learn a new skill. They are woven from tight rolls of old, donated magazines and newspapers into intricate gift baskets and storage containers.  The eco-baskets are available in a wide range of colors and designs, and can be made to order.

Tubes used to make basket designs are made from tight rolls of old newspapers.

Salaam Wanita women are involved in every step of the sales process – from weaving the baskets to delivering them to customers.

Women learn how to budget their time and expenses, and they can see first-hand what goes into the sale of these baskets in the market.

To order baskets, visit Salaam Wanita.  There is:

• information about the weavers,
• a catalog of their collections
• and instructions on how to place an order.

The Network of Angels Project

 

In addition to teaching valuable job skills, Salaam Wanita helps women through its Network of Angels project.  Each month, the stories of two Salaam Wanita women are posted on the eHomemakers website.  The women are chosen because they are in dire need of assistance and can benefit greatly from the generosity of eHomemakers members. 

 

As the number of women helped through the Salaam Wanita project grows, Sheau Ching and her staff see that they are filling a large void with their project. In 2004, they trained 120 women how to weave baskets.  In 2006, they trained 65 disadvantaged women with specialized computer skills that will enable them to find jobs as administrative assistants.

 

Although Salaam Wanita has made significant progress in the past 4 years, it is still seeking ways to improve and expand on its services. One way Salaam Wanita seeks to do this is by using ICT to create virtual home offices, helping disadvantaged women work from home as administrative assistants.

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