KUCHING: The month of November will be a busy one for the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development.
Among the events that will be held is the Wellbest Carnival, which is for welfare micro-entrepreneurs.
“It is a carnival for our clients that have received assistance from my ministry and it will help to promote and market their products,” minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said in a press conference yesterday at Baitul Makmur building, Petra Jaya.
“The carnival is about productive welfare whereby our welfare monthly recipients are actually helped through grants and various trainings in the entrepreneurship field.
“That is how they are able to produce their goods and generate income for themselves. The target for them is to increase their family income and move out from the poverty cocoon,” she said.
Also happening from Nov 23 to 27 is the inaugural Sarawak People with Disabilities Carnival (Kokus) organised by the ministry, taking place at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), Kota Samarahan.
“It is a grand gathering of People with Disabilities (PWD) from all over Sarawak for a carnival that consists of three components: Sports, abilympics and cultural talents.
“In the sports component, there will be 11 games such as swimming, athletics, powerlifting, ten-pin bowling, ping-pong, badminton, boccia, bocce, chess, lawn bowls and archery. These games also serve as a preparation platform for our athletes to compete in the upcoming 2020 Para Sukma Games.
“Whereas in the abilympic components, nine skills will be emphasised to revive their skills that is able to generate income for themselves, as well as making them to be self-reliant. Drawing, flower arrangement, cooking, cake making-decorating, sewing, embroidery, photography, wood carving and data processing are the skills that will be focused on,” Fatimah explained.
“For the cultural talent component, there will be three performances for the PWDs to participate in: Solo singing, solo instrumental and dancing (solo and group).”
Fatimah reiterated that the carnival would be held biennially as it was the first time where the three components were held together at one occasion simultaneously, previously it was known to be held separately or occasionally.
“With this carnival, we are encouraging and aiming at providing PWDs the avenue and opportunity to be involved in healthy, productive as well as entertaining activities and competitions.”
Also present was the ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Saadiah Abdul Samat, Special Olympics Kuching Chapter president Datin Mariani Abang Zain and Sarawak Disabled Sports and Recreation Association chairman Matthew Chin Hiong Choi.
