SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR WOMEN

Background Information: The earthquakes that occurred at the West Coast of Indonesia, Sumatra and Nicobar Islands of India which was followed by the devastating Tsunami tides has hit the shores of Indonesia , Sri Lanka , India and Thailand on December 26 th , 2004 also affecting other countries in the region. Aceh Province of Indonesia, only 150 kilometers away from the epicenter of the earthquake was the most affected region from the tsunami waves of 11 meters of height, engulfing the shore with the speed of 300 kilometers per hour. The devastating disaster killed more than 200,000 people and made hundreds of thousands homeless in the region.

The disaster of the century mobilized the international community, responding with humanitarian support to the Aceh provinces needs. Due to the major dimensions of the disaster, the emergency period took longer than other cases. After the disaster response works covered more than three months time, the rehabilitation and the reconstruction considerations started. Within the scope of rehabilitation and recovery works, countless projects in education, health, livelihood had been implemented right along with housing and physical infrastructure projects by various organizations.

Project Summary: This project includes training of trainees on sewing and culinary and implementations of trainings in these fields within the villages in cooperation with Family Welfare and Empowerment Organization. Although the project was originally planned for only sewing courses, culinary courses were taken into the framework of the project due to the demand from the community. The following courses had been conducted during the course of project.

•  A trainee training on sewing at Banda Aceh 
(10 day)
•  13 courses on sewing in various villages at Aceh Jaya Sub-District (3 week/course)
•  A trainee training on culinary at Banda Aceh 
(4 day)
•  7 courses on culinary in various villages at Aceh Jaya Sub-District (1 week/course)

Necessary equipments and materials for the trainings were provided within the scope of this project and handed over to the villages for further use following the completion of the programs. This has provided an opportunity to the Family Welfare and Empowerment Organization and its representatives in the villages to organize small scale projects whenever necessary. In addition, not only training participators but also the women in these villages will be able to use the materials with the support and supervision of Family Welfare and Empowerment Organization representatives of their villages.

Project Goal: The goal of this project is to contribute the welfare and empowerment of the families and also to provide a workshop therapy; facility to the women by the organizing sewing and culinary trainings.

Project Beneficiaries: 332 women has been directly benefited from the project.

•  22 women had been trained as sewing trainer and received the certification of the Family Welfare and Empowerment Organization,
•  20 women had been trained as culinary trainer with the certification of the Family Welfare and Empowerment Organization,
•  196 women had been trained on sewing in the courses organized in the villages and,
•  94 women had been trained on culinary in the courses that organized in the villages.

On the other hand, about 2000 families from the villages that the material donations had been done has benefited indirectly from the project.

Implemented Activities:

Advanced Tailoring Trainer Training: The trainer training has been given in the center of the Family Welfare and Empowerment Organization in Banda Aceh and covered a 10 day course starting from 20 th of July to the 29 th . The course was given to 22 women participating from the villages of Jaya Region, Mukhan, Lhuet, M.Teunogh, Babah Dua, Janguet, Ujong Muloh, Nusa, Rumpet, Jambo Masi, Kr.Tunong.

Shoulder bags have been distributed to the participators, the trainers, assistants and Family Welfare and Empowerment Organization representatives containing, costume notebook, paper scale, ballpoint pen, pencil, eraser, pencil sharpener, tailors pen, tape measure, tailors chalk, 12 rolls of sewing thread, a box of pin, pendedel, tailors scissors, 2 kind of costume scale, pattern cutter and 1m x1.5m fabric for start up exercise. Additionally, a Hand Book for Tailoring Training that has been prepared by the Family Welfare and Empowerment Organization has been distributed to the participants along with the necessary material for the training as 24 m fabric, zippers, shoulder padding, buttons. Pattern paper, glue, colored sheets of paper for patterning, and other materials necessary for the training had also been provided to the class within the framework of the project.

The participants were chosen by the villagers among the women who already can sew or at least have basic sewing knowledge. Within the trainings conducted, each participant has tailored a skirt, pants, a blouse and a dress whereas the training continued on variations in modeling.

Sewing Courses in Villages: 13 courses had been held in two phases between 8 and 26 August 2006 and between 4 and 22 September 2006 within Jaya Sub-District and in the villages of Mukhan, Lamno, Babah Dua and Rumpet. The courses were designed to train participants on measuring, patterning and basic sewing that has ended with the output of each participant having produced a skirt, a dress, a pair of pants and a blouse for themselves. 196 women from 16 villages had been participated the courses.

104 women from Mukhan, Jambo Masi, Kr. Tunong, M.Teungoh, Nusa, Lhuet, Babah Dua, Ujong Muloh and Rumpet had participated to the 7 courses that were conducted during the first phase. 92 women from Mukhan, Mns. Tutong, Mns. Rayeuk, Cot Dulang, Meutara, Mns. Weh, Rumpet, Meudheun, Serba, Lhuet, Jambo Masi and Ujong Muloh had participated to the 6 courses that were conducted during the second phase

As it was done during the trainers training, shoulder bags have been distributed to the participators containing, costume notebook, ballpoint pen, pencil, eraser, pencil sharpener, tailors pen, tape measure, tailors chalk, 12 rolls of sewing thread, box of pin, pendedel, tailors scissors, 2 kind of costume scale, pattern cutter and 1mx1.5 m fabric for start up exercises. Additionally and again, a Hand Book for Tailoring Training; that had been prepared by the Family Welfare Empowerment Organization had been distributed to the participants along with the necessary material for the training as 16 m fabric, zippers, shoulder padding, buttons, pattern paper, glue, colored sheets of paper for patterning, and other materials necessary for the training.

The trainings were conducted in the Social Center for Women and Children that has been built by IBC within the Aceh Housing and Recovery Project?in Mukhan village, temporary sheltering barracks in Babah Dua village, social center that has been built by UNIFEM in Rumpet and within the IBC rented storehouse in Lamno. The material and machinery necessary for the training as sewing machines, cutting tables, white boards, chairs etc. had also been provided for an effective training environment.

Culinary Trainer Training: The training course had been conducted in Banda Aceh, within the premises of the Family Welfare Empowerment Organization, with the participation of 20 women from 7 different villages between 21 st and 24 th of August, 2006.

The participants had the opportunity of being trained in the recipes of the traditional Aceh Cousin and the traditional cousins of other regions of the country with the necessary kitchen utensils and materials provided . The recipes have been selected from, the most popular and well known dishes of the traditional cooking that are displayed on the trays of the mobile street restaurants and cafes of the country and that are mostly run by women.

Culinary Courses in Villages: The courses had been conducted between 28 th of August and 3 rd of September in Mukhan, Babah Dua, Ujong Muloh, Meunsah Weh and Lhuet villages of Jaya District, Gampong Pie and Cot Lamkuweh of Banda Aceh. The houses of the trainers have been arranged for the trainings wherein the necessary culinary material and equipment has been funded from the project .

93 women in total, 15 from Gampong Pie, 13 from Cot Lamkuweh, 14 from Mukhan, 12 from Babah Dua, 14 from Ujong Muloh, 15 from Meunasah Weh and 10 from Lhuet village had participated to the courses.

Distribution of Equipments: The material and equipment that have been used during trainings had been distributed to the villages in October 2006 taking the donations of the other organizations into consideration. Please find below the distribution details.

On the other hand culinary equipment containing stove, oven, mixer, plates, pots and miscellaneous utensils has been purchased within the scope of the culinary program. The culinary uetnsils were donated to Babah Dua, Ujong Muloh, Meunasah Weh and Lhuet villages of Jaya region and to Gampong Pie and Cot Lamkuweh villages of Banda Aceh. The sets were handed over to the representatives of Family Welfare and Empowerment Organization and the Kachis of the villages. This would enable the village representatives of the Family Welfare and Empowerment Organization to organize similar trainings on culinary and also lend the sets to the families upon their request to use on their special days.