New garment hub opens in Cane Grove to empower women and youth with lucrative skills

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, on Tuesday launched a new garment construction hub at the Cane Grove Craft Centre, East Coast Demerara. The initiative is designed to provide skills training and boost entrepreneurship, especially among women and young people.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Persaud stressed the importance of access to opportunity and noted that men are also welcome to participate in the training.

“Sewing is very well established and lucrative skill,” she said.

Several sewing machines were donated by the Ministry, and training will be offered under the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) programme. So far, more than 17,000 women have been trained through WIIN in various fields.

Encouraging participants to broaden their horizons, the Minister urged them to go beyond traditional projects like school uniforms and explore niche markets such as baby clothing and trendy fashion pieces.

“There are many avenues for women to be in entrepreneurship, women to get together in consortiums, women to have the opportunity to be financially independent and this is intended to lead you in that direction,” she said.

“I want you to think of other areas that you can use this skill towards, health is always a place I would think of because you always need linens in hospital, you need lab coats and you need so many other things when it comes to help,” Dr Persaud added.

She also encouraged forming small sewing businesses to help meet local demand and create income-generating opportunities.

Participants will also be trained to maintain and repair sewing machines.

Meanwhile, Head of the Cane Grove Craft Centre, Amanda Hamilton, noted the positive impact the facility is already having, particularly for single parents.

“It benefits for instance like single parents to do their little sewing at home and cake and pastry, cake decorating, food preparation. When they do like cake decorations, they open their own little business, they go into other industries,” she said.