As the saying goes, ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’.
Over the past 30 years, Soroptimist International Damansara (SI Damansara) has been supporting and uplifting disadvantaged communities afflicted by poverty through its community outreach programmes. One such initiative is the Mentari Sentul Crafters (MSC). The Crafters were born of SI Damansara’s social enterprise project, the Mentari Sewing Studio in 2020, which aimed to economically empower underserved women from B40 communities in the urban poor area of Desa Mentari in Selangor.
The Mentari Sewing Studio was established during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to support the women from these communities whose families suffered a loss of income that left them in dire straits. The project evolved thanks to the dedication of SI Damansara and the women who put in their hard work, growing the Mentari Sewing Studio into a social enterprise that has been generating income and supporting the livelihoods of these women since then.
In 2024, the project was expanded with the addition of 5 Sri Lankan seamstresses to the group and they began creating beautifully designed items ranging from shopping bags and tote bags to table runners, wine bottle bags and more. The women display incredible dedication and craftsmanship in their work and creative designs, the sales of which are enabling them to earn a decent living to support their households.
The Crafters have showcased their detailed craftwork at various events, even selling out of all their items at bazaars and receiving orders to requisition special projects. These have included a project with sentimental value by a customer who wanted to turn their late family members’ clothing into clothing and pouches, and projects for corporate brands such as Starbucks and Amcorp Group Berhad.
SI Damansara is incredibly proud of these seamstresses and their perseverance in striving to build a better life for themselves and their families. The Mentari Sentul Crafters are truly a testament to what happens when we support and uplift those in need, by teaching them the skills to empower their lives.