by Colleen Barilae – EM TV News, Lae
The Lae District Council of Women will be using the independence celebrations to showcase their crafts, following a six weeks of entrepreneurial training funded by the Lae District Development Authority.
Council President, Carol Ahi, says women have real potential in participating in small to medium enterprises (SMEs). She announced this year’s craft show would be staged in line with the upcoming independence celebrations.
“This is one of the ways forward and we’ve been in the SME class already, we’re actually doing these hand crafts, this is the time that we have to come out and show the people of Lae district and Morobe province and Papua New Guinea as a whole,” Ahi said.
It will be one of the biggest shows seen in the region.
The products on offer will range from food to hand crafts, tailoring products and basic home economic skills.
The show aims to market the women’s skills to business houses.
It comes following a six-week SME training program held last year, facilitated by Samoan entrepreneur, Sally Napolioni.
“Firstly we train them on whatever is available already so we started by training their minds, because many don’t realise that if your mind is rich, you can be very productive,” Napolioni said.
The crafts show will be staged on September 11 and 12, and it invites the district authority to witness Lae women’s skills that can be recommended for further women’s empowerment.
As the government continues to encourage SME’s in communities, the Lae District Council of Women calls for equal participation from other major business houses.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=0UTKdkcBejE%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D
