Making a difference to real lives
Supporting the Strung Treng Women's Development Center (SWDC) has a real impact on real Cambodian women.
Women working together in the cooperative provide a strong base on which to build a successful and sustainable business - as well as the pyscho-social support so important in Cambodia. Women employed at and supported by SWDC have found increased confidence, improved livelihoods and feel empowered to plan and make decisions for themselves and the future.
SWDC runs the following projects to make a difference to real lives:
Literacy
Women at SWDC participating in literacy training
This is the initial program the women enroll in when coming to SWDC, and it runs part time for one year. After successful completion women are able to move on to the vocational training. All of the training is provided free of charge to encourage and make it possible for women to attend. SWDC provides a small living and food allowance for enrolled women. Some women are offered a bicycle to improve access.
The literacy program is taught by trained teachers to educate women in reading, writing and math, up to grade 4. This level gives many women the ability to perform more functions outside the home and to participate in the community. Most of the women that have completed this course now work at SWDC, writing records, calculations and reports on the silk production. Many are now reading novels and share gossip magazines at lunch time! Some have taken up further education in English and math and share their knowledge with family members. Breaking this cycle of illiteracy improve lives, opportunities and has a long term beneficial effect.
Health
In Camdodia, women often do not have easy access to health facilities. Health education is not a priority for the rural family, and this lack of knowledge can have powerful consequences. Some personal health issues, particularly for women, are generally not even discussed because of cultural guidelines.
This lack of education creates further vulnerability even with the simplest of health issues. Health knowledge in rural areas is even more at risk with information transferred from generation to generation occasionally with a lack of real knowledge and some of the simplest problems become worse because of wrong diagnosis, cultural beliefs or mismanagement of medication. As many families in Stung Treng are unable to afford lengthy expensive treatments or even get access to health care workers, some common health concerns can be better prevented or treated with a little knowledge.
SWDC's health program teaches women about primary health, including nutrition, hygiene, birth control, HIV/AIDS prevention, prevention and treatment of common health problems (diarrhea, malaria, dengue fever etc) and the use of basic medicines.
This education teaches women how to take better care of themselves, their children and share the knowledge with their loved ones resulting in healthier and happier families. These lessons also give the women an opportunity to share experiences and issues, finding they have much in common with their counterparts, thereby creating an ease of communicating health concerns, empowering women to understand their own bodies and take care of their own well being.
Any health issues needing attention for the women or children or family members at SWDC, we are there to assist in practical ways, offering direct assistance or referral, whilst also using the experience to increase further health knowledge and solutions.
Vocational Training - Weaving and Sewing
Women at SWDC learning silk weaving
Once a very popular skill throughout the Stung Treng region, silk weaving is fast becoming a lost art in Cambodia. Developing this skill once again ensures the continuation of the traditional art and builds a future for the community through training, employment and sales of this desirable commodity.
After the women's successful completion of the literacy and health education program they are able to move onto vocational training that demonstrates and teaches all aspects of silk weaving, from preparation to final product presentation. After completion most of the women are filtered into employment at SWDC at our mekong blue production center. This type of vocational training has a very positive impact on the women's future as textile weaving is currently a highly transferable and employable skill in the South East Asian region.
The weaving training runs for 6 months fulltime, the sewing training runs for 1 year part time. All of the training is provided free of charge.
The women who complete the training are then evaluated and offered to apply for positions at SWDC in the skill they show most confidence in. On the job training is ongoing and new skills are developed over time.
The program consists of the following courses:
- Getting to understand silk - through washing and handling unprocessed silk, separating and spinning silk into thread.
- Preparing silk - dying, setting dyes, drying silk, a few women with math skill are chosen to specialize in dying and color mixing and more advanced dying techniques.
- Setting up the loom - preparing the warp, folding warp onto beam, preparing and threading the reed, preparing the heddle.
- Silk weaving - preparing the weft, using the shuttle, weaving different silk thicknesses, weaving modern and traditional patterns, including Khmer Ikat and patterns.
- Sewing - measuring, developing and making patterns, cutting silk, sewing, tailoring and finishing.
- Quality Control - preparing product for sale: washing, ironing, labeling and packaging.
SWDC provides over 80% of the women who complete the training with employment in their learnt vocational skill. This employment improves income generation and livelihoods. Silk production provides women with confidence and physical evidence of their hard work and skill.