KUALA LUMPUR: A leadership skills programme organised by non-governmental organisation Women of Will (WOW) has proven to be a blessing in empowering women leaders to overcome problems faced by B40 families during the crippling Covid-19 pandemic.
Norliza Buhori from the People’s Housing Project (PPR) community in Ukay Indah in Selangor, along with 34 women from 10 PPRs in the Klang Valley, realised that as women leaders, it was crucial to keep the line of communication open during the movement control order.
This came in handy in communicating with third parties who had to come in to assist B40 communities in PPRs during the MCO and adhering to strict lockdown conditions, she said in a statement yesterday.
Despite facing her own challenges as a mother and homemaker, she used her leadership skills to resolve issues ranging from social problems to ensuring cleanliness and maintenance as well as undertaking administrative matters in the community.
“Wherever possible, we helped to prevent the situation from worsening particularly for families in the B40 group,” said Norliza, who with the others were chosen for the leadership course having shown natural leadership traits during an earlier WOW entrepreneur and community development programme.
WOW, in partnership with Edra Power Holdings Sdn Bhd (Edra) aims to empower women for socio-economic community growth and to put the community on a sustainable platform, but the pandemic only served to further enhance the usefulness of the programme.
Community leaders, Isham Romli from PPR Lembah Subang and Saraswathy Periasamy from PPR Raya Permai, Sungai Besi, KL, opined that communications skills and touching base with the people’s emotions are pivotal in overcoming their dissatisfaction during the difficult period and to unify the people.
Lakshwin Muruga, WOW’s chief operating officer, said the input for the programme was aligned with the United Nations (UN) objectives of developing community leaders.
These women would be well-placed as community leaders with the skills to help mobilise the community should there be a problem through engaging the people without having to wait for external parties.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Aleeya Wong, vice president II, Group Public Affairs of Edra , said the power company’s partnership with WOW helped underprivileged women develop their livelihood in a sustainable manner via micro credit financing facilities to start their own business.
WOW works with B40 women who are heads of the household with income of less than RM2,500. -Bernama
