Seven years ago, Justina lived alone and suffered from depression while battling SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus). Isolation, combined with low self-esteem, lack of income-earning skills and passivity prevented her from venturing outside the home to earn a living. She has undergone an end-to-end poverty alleviation program where appropriate empowerment and a low-capital income-generation solution have been tailored for her. She raises earthworms from discarded cartons and vegetables to cultivate the poop as fertilizers. Selling Eco-Baskets made by other women also gives her much-needed social interaction. This picture depicts Justina, who, although recovering from a fever, continues to care for the worms. More about Justina here.

Disabled women like Rosnani face barriers to acquire new skills and knowledge. To fulfill her ambition to become a home-based administrative assistant, Rosnani attended a four-month computer and soft skills training programme. She had to learn specific computer-based admin skills to support a remote office from home. A donation campaign was organized to get her a refurbished computer so that she can gain economic self-reliance and be weaned off welfare. She is still undergoing lessons in English conversational and written skills as well as customer service training whenever donations arrive for activity implementation. While waiting to be hired by a company, Rosnani earns an income as a home-based tailor.

Working @ home options effectively increase women’s participation in the economic sphere as it gives them the opportunity to balance traditional roles with income-earning opportunities. Chan Yoke Sin (left) contracted poliomyelitis when she was just a year old. With eHomemakers’ soft-skills and specific skills trainings, she now benefits from home-based ICT-focused employment opportunities. Chan looks after her 3 children and together with her visually-impaired husband, she manages their massage business using her mobile phone and a donated used computer.

With more resources, eHomemakers can reach out to more urban disadvantaged women who must support their households as both caregivers and income earners. http://www.ehomemakers.net/en/article.php?id=2207

eHomemakers’ commitment is inspired by disadvantaged women who have successfully overcome their barriers by taking control of their lives. These women’s experiences, challenges and triumphs drive eHomemakers to continuously innovate ways to create home-based and low-capital income-generating opportunities.

Noorzihan is an Ipoh-based Eco-Basket weaver. She attended basket-weaving using discarded magazine papers and now weaves from home while caring for her severely disabled son. Continuous capacity building is required; skills training is combined with mentorship, logistical support, and a web-to handphone application to access a group marketing platform to help Noorzihan help herself.

This picture of my mum, Nurul, and I was taken at the Serdang hospital. I was frightened because my mum’s only eye was splattered with hot oil while she was cooking this morning. Her painful, swollen eye could hardly see but she kept it open to assure me that everything would be alright. After my father left us, everything has become difficult. Mum takes care of my two siblings and me by herself. She took many buses and walked to attend skills-training and micro-enterprise courses. She now makes some money with her home-based muruku business and typing for people on an old donated computer. People laugh at her because she dreams of us studying in university one day. We will, because mum will not give up.