KAMP 2.0 Empowers B40 Women Artisans To Expand Business

IPOH, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- The Perak Department of Women Development (JPW) is empowering women from the B40 income group through the Khadijah Artisans Mentoring Programme (KAMP 2.0), guiding handicraft entrepreneurship to improve product quality and expand market access.

Perak Women Development Office director S. Kavaramma said the programme, organised in collaboration with the Khadijah International Waqf (L) Foundation (KIWF) and CIMB Foundation, offered women entrepreneurs, particularly those in the informal sector, an opportunity to grow their businesses.

She said the participants were already producing handicrafts but needed guidance in packaging, labelling, branding and marketing strategies to make their products more competitive.

“Previously, their products were packed in basic plastic without labels or branding. However, after undergoing about seven months of training, their products now look more professional and have the potential to reach a wider market,” she said after the KAMP 2.0 graduation ceremony here today.

Kavaramma said 15 participants were selected based on their commitment to the programme.

Besides training and practical activities, they also gained hands-on market experience, enabling them to better understand business operations and customer needs, she added.

She said JPW hoped the initiative would help participants increase their income by providing access to wider marketing opportunities, including sales platforms facilitated by KIWF in the Klang Valley.

She added that the department planned to discuss with State Women Development, Family, Social Welfare and Entrepreneur Development Committee chairman Datuk Salbiah Mohamed the establishment of more marketing platforms in Perak.

Meanwhile, KIWF chairperson Rohani Mohd Shahir said Khadijah Artisan focused on women handicraft entrepreneurs from the B40 and asnaf groups, who were eligible to receive zakat assistance and needed guidance to expand their businesses.

She said the programme also provided access to markets in Kuala Lumpur, the Klang Valley and Seremban, enabling participants to broaden their customer base and increase sales.

“To date, 40 entrepreneurs from Perak have participated in the programme, comprising 25 in the first cohort and 15 in the second. Each cohort underwent about eight months of training,” she said.

One of the participants, 63-year-old Hamidah Suratman from Gopeng, said KAMP 2.0 had helped women produce more polished and attractive handicrafts while giving them a better understanding of entrepreneurship.

Hamidah, a retired Art and Visual Education teacher, said she planned to establish a handicraft centre offering guided classes, particularly for the young generation, while continuing to sell her hand-drawn batik (batik canting) products.

She said she had generated sales of up to RM9,000 from her batik products through various entrepreneurship expos since joining KAMP 2.0.

-- BERNAMA