Another life-giving project to prevent sexual and gender-based violence!

What Project? Corn growing.

Who? 8 women from Kampung Batu Lunguyan, Sabah,

How did it start? Under the leadership of Ms Chin Poh Choo, Executive
Director of Good Shepherd services, it provided them with
the agricultural and entrepreneurial opportunities.

How does corn growing to do with prevention of Sexual and Gender-based
violence?
20 percent of the profit from the sale of the crops are
directed to a common fund for use in the protection
of children programme.

What is the name of this enterprise?
Wirawati Enterprise Batu Lunguyan (WEBL)
Wariwati translated into English means Heroines

What is WEBL’s hope?
To expand its facilities and services as well as to
develop an entrepreneurial hub that supports the
economic empowerment of women in the rural villages of
Sabah.

Interested in more detail, do read the article below from Daily Express,
Sabah:

Growing corn for a cause

Published on Dailly Express, Sabah News: Thursday, August 29, 2019

KENINGAU: Eight women from Kg Batu Lunguyan here have decided to fight
sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) by growing corn for chicken feed
and using the money for protecting children and women.
Wirawati Enterprise Batu Lunguyan (WEBL) comprising housewives and farmers
will be cultivating corn for chicken feed as a way of generating the
funds.
WEBL Chairperson Daisy Stanis, 43, said the recent setting up of a corn
milling centre (CMC) in Kg Batu Lunguyan will provide the women with an
alternative source of income.
“However, our main objective is still to empower women to advocate against
SGBV and protect children in the process.

“We will be channelling some of the funds towards the welfare and
education of children in need,” said the mother-of-six.
Daisy thanked Good Shepherd Services (GSS) for providing the group with
agricultural and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Meanwhile, GSS Executive Director Chin Poh Choo said 20pc of the profits
generated from this initiative will be directed to a common community fund
for the protection of children.
She expressed hope that the CMC can expand its facilities and services in
the near future as well as be developed to become an entrepreneurial hub
that supports the economic empowerment of women in Sabah’s rural villages.

The members of WEBL were originally part of the joint-action committee for
the protection of children set up in 2015, comprising women from Kg
Delayan Baru, Kg Pau, Kg Tulid, Kg Batu Lunguyang and Kg Kiulu Baru.
Between 2015 and 2017, GSS provided capacity building and training
sessions for the women on child protection including the “Keeping Me Safe”
modules.
A number of the women were trained as Trainers and continued conducting
sessions with the primary school in their communities.
Conducting training in schools incurred expenses which the women had to
fork out on their own. Hence eventually the awareness session tapered off.
The corn cultivation project aims to circumvent the middlemen and produce
the corn millets at much lower prices, which will benefit the community as
almost all households rear chicken.
The corn milling machines were sponsored by National Women Entrepreneurs
of Malaysia.

This above article could be found here:
http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/139966/growing-corn-for-a-cause/#.XWuV2ji5jy8.mailto

Rejoicing with all the ‘Wirawati’ heroines!