Making a difference with sewing machines

A project titled “Promoting Cultural Industries for Livelihood Recovery in Sindh” was launched at a ceremony held at Keenjhar Lake on Tuesday.
The project is a joint venture of the provincial Tourism Department and UNESCO, under which 46 manual sewing machines and two electric sewing machines along with 40 tool kits were distributed among the female residents of three union councils of Thatta – Makli, Sonda and Jhirk.
Besides this, Rs 50,000 were also provided for disbursement among 100 artisans of the area – Rs 500 for each of them.  
Speaking on the occasion, provincial Tourism Minister Mohammad Ali Malkani said the empowerment of women is among the top priorities of the government so that an egalitarian society can be established.
“The project has been designed for the revival of the livelihood of the people in poverty-hit areas through handicrafts,” he added.
The minister said the provision of sewing machines to the women from poor families is aimed at improving the lifestyle of these families and in this regard, the role of UNESCO in helping the government is significant.
“After getting these sewing machines, these women will not only get an alternative to earn extra money, but the handcrafts and homemade embroidery will also be promoted,” he noted.
“Fisherfolk face financial hardships during scarcity of water when there is no catch and the provincial government plans to start various projects to extend support to the poor and enable them to earn more.”