WOMEN’s non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Sarawak, including single mothers’ associations, are encouraged to submit working papers and apply for capacity building funds from the government.
Deputy Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Datuk Rosey Yunus said the ministry has allocated a special grant amounting RM200,000 this year for women’s NGOs in Sarawak, todevelop and refine their skills and systems.
“The grant is open to all eligible women’s NGOs in Sarawak based on the working papers that need to be prepared by the NGO with the objective of empowering the association and its members in the socio -economic sector,” she said.
She said this in response to a question by Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (GPS-Dudong) on allocation for single mothers’ association to increase their incomes and living standard at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today.
For the central region, including Dudong constituency, she said, the ministry has provided a NGO Grant, with a total of RM50,330 approved for four single mothers’ associations in Sibu, Mukah, and Kuching, from 2020 to 2021.
“Of the total, one was a single mothers’ association from Dudong area, namely the Sarawak Central Region Single Mothers Association (PITWITS) with a total allocation of RM6,000 in 2020,” she told.
Rosey said the ministry also provided the Launch Grant Assistance; with a maximum of RM 5,000 per person in the form of equipment to start or expand their micro business.
As of April 2022, a total of 364 single mothers have received assistance from JKMS and are still active in business.
Apart from that, she said, the ministry offered a skill training programme for their client’s children, where the selected candidates would be fully sponsored (for the training) and to be placed for employment with the related agencies later.
This year, we have a total of 127 of them who are in the process for job placement and through this initiative, we hope it will increase their family incomes,” she added.
