By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, Nov 27: Approximately 3,000 low-income families and mothers with infants and toddlers in Sarawak will receive reusable diaper packs to help alleviate their financial burdens in a sustainable manner.
According to the Minister for Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development (KPWK), Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, the distribution of reusable diaper packs is part of an annual project by the rotary clubs in Sarawak, Sabah, and Borneo in collaboration with Tanoti Sdn Bhd, Yayasan Hasanah, and Pakej Rangsangan Ekonomi Prihatin Rakyat (Prihatin).
“The goal of the project is to provide low-income families and mothers with infants and toddlers in Sarawak with reusable diaper packs that have been sewn and assembled by B40 sewers.
“We hope that the provision of these diaper packs will help to alleviate their financial burdens sustainably, as all of the items are reusable.
“Simultaneously, this project will benefit 85 home sewers in both urban and rural areas by providing them with a source of income through the sewing of diaper packs,” Fatimah said in her speech before officiating the symbolic handover of the Rotary Pan Borneo Joint Club Project at Tanoti House here today.
She also noted that the concept of reusable diapers by Tanoti is significant for the environment.
“I have seen so many disposable diapers at the landfill, and as I mentioned earlier, even in a small town like Dalat, the landfill contains a great deal of non-biodegradable waste, including these diapers.
“Consider how many small children there are in one family, how many disposable diapers are used in that family — this is something that concerns us from an environmental standpoint.
“I used reusable diapers because there were no disposable diapers back then, and reusable diapers are actually quite good. It can be washed and reused later,” she told reporters when met after the event.
Meanwhile, Rotary District 3310 (Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore) 2022-2023 district governor Joanne Kam told reporters that the reusable diaper packs would be distributed through the rotary network.
“We have 28 rotary clubs in Sarawak, Sabah, and Brunei, and the network of Rotarians and Rotaractors will assist in distributing the 3,000 reusable diaper packs to needy families in Sarawak,” Kam highlighted.
She continued, “This is an annual project that rotary clubs in Sarawak, Sabah, and Borneo collaborate on. We have a Pan Borneo meeting each year, and this year, we have chosen to do this project.
“This year, the project focuses on two of Rotary’s areas of focus — maternal and child health as well as economic development.” — DayakDaily
