By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Jan 27: Besides giving food baskets to some 550 urban poor families in Miri, Bintulu and Kuching, SAVE Rivers Sarawak in collaboration with European Union (EU) countries, will also be assisting the recipients especially those who have lost their jobs during the current Covid-19 pandemic to undergo upskilling training and programmes.
SAVE Rivers Sarawak chairman Peter Kallang said those who received the food baskets were migrant workers from the rural areas who are now living in these cities and town to eke their living.
“We assist that urban poor in Miri, Bintulu and Kuching. The food baskets which we distributed today consists of essential items costing RM150 each to 550 families, whereby we distributed to 481 households in Miri, 31 households in Bintulu and 38 households in Kuching.
“Additionally, we will also be providing them with upskilling training programme soon so that they will be better prepared to compete in the job market. It’s like proving them with fishing rods so that they can stand by their own in the long run,” Kallang told DayakDaily today.
He added that the allocation from EU countries and the fund was channelled through and managed by SUHAKAM which it disbursed to three NGOs; one each from Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah.
“For Sarawak, SAVE Rivers have been entrusted to distribute the food items and later on to provide upskilling training for those who have lost their jobs due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
On upskilling training which the recipients will undergo later, Kallang said, it includes tailoring, cement plastering, wiring and cooking.
“We try to provide the best training that will make them get better income once there have completed their courses.
So, we are providing both short and long-term assistance to those who are needy,” added Kallang. -DayakDaily
