Amy, an expat from the United States was learning Bahasa Melayu(the Malaysian language) from a single mother, Kak Ana, after moving to Malaysia.
Their teacher-student relation turned into a beautiful friendship, and they bonded as women and mothers. After realizing that Ana could sew and was skilled in the art of batik (a traditional Indonesian craft of decorating cloth), Amy was inspired to open a social enterprise – Batik Boutique.
Batik Boutique produces and sells batik printed clothing, gifts, scarves and pouches which provide a sustainable income for the women living in Malaysia’s urban areas.
The enterprise has managed to train about 29 seamstresses, and 10 of them are now able to have a stable income.
Munirah is one of such seamstresses.
“Sometimes there was not enough food for the month, what would we eat? Now that I am working, that burden has been reduced,” she shares.
In addition, Batik Boutique also provides workplace childcare to make the working environment more convenient and family-friendly for the women.
“Maybe we don’t wear the same clothes or always eat the same food, but at the end of the day, we’re women,” says Amy.
“I want what’s best for my children, and they equally want what’s best for their children.”
Visit their site to order an item of your choice.
A story by Our Better World – telling stories of good to inspire action.