Vocational Training Program

The Y's Men's Club of Bangkok begin to involve in the Food & Herb Processing Project at Phayao YMCA. The club has set its plan to raise fund for the amount of US$ 5,625 for the expansion of training programs and the building.

The details of the project implemented by Bangkok YMCA Foundation are:

While education is an important component of the project, the women and children still lack of the vocational skills necessary to make them marketable in the limited rural job market. The Bangkok YMCA aims to provide the children of the project with a vocational training program that will empower them with some of the practical skills necessary to develop their job potential. The first training in sewing is made possible with the assistance from the Singer Company through the coordination of Westfield YMCA, USA.

Because embroidery is a traditional that women and girls of the rural areas pass on from generation to generation, especially among the hill tribe groups, the YMCA has found that sewing is an extremely effective activity and skill that generates interates and active participation in the community. The hill tribe women hold embroidery meeting and sew together by hand. Enrolling in sewing classes would not only give the women and children professional training in an activity that is already a popular hobby, but would also provide them with skill necessary to utilize their experience in a professional job setting. For example, many women embroider beautiful patterns on cloth, but lack of training and equipment to turn that work into a product that can be sold such as dresses or handbags. Because the village lack sewing machines, the women are unable to sew hems or provide the proper finishing touches to their work. A sewing class would provide the necessary training equipment and forum to develop their skills and market their work.

With the cooperation of Rotary Club of Dhonburi and Rotary Club of Sendai North, a matching grant request has been made to the Rotary Foundation to furnish and equip a vocational training workshop for the students of the YMCA Protect a Child program, their mothers and other villagers in the Phayao area.

More and more trainings have been organized, the students make good progress. The Yokohama YMCA had sent one lady volunteers, Ms. Yurina Kato, to help in design and quality control. Besides, Yokohama YMCA, overseas YMCA and other workshop groups also help promoting and selling their finishing products in Japan.

Later on the program has extended the scope of training to promote the dressmaking, handicraft products and food processing. The activities are implemented in five villages including three villages from the lowland and two from the highland. These activities include:
• Improving the tribal handicraft products by supporting the housewives and youth in developing their production expertise and potentials. This enables them to generate income for their families. This year 50 housewives from 2 hilltribe villages were able to obtain additional income for the entire year.
• Conducting training on professional dressmaking for the group of formal and non-formal education female students and for the group of housewives. This enables them to repair or make dresses in the community. There were 72 females included less privileged children, non-formal education students, and housewives have passed the YMCA training program.
• Holding training on food processing and sweets making through the cooperation of the Phayao Labor Skills Development Center and the YMCA training resource person, such as the making of moo yor, fermented pork, spicy shredded pork, crispy rice cake, pumpkins, sweet tamarind and dried banana chips, which was attended by 45 participants.

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International Y's Men's Club of Bangkok, Thailand
since 1996