NST Online: StreetsJohor

Posted: 08 Aug 2011 10:18 AM PDT

Juita's programmes have successfully helped single mothers acquire marketable skills

WHAT happens to a woman and her family when she is widowed, divorced or abandoned by her husband?

If he was the sole breadwinner, they would be left bereft, helpless and sometimes, even homeless.

The woman is left with the responsibility of bringing up her family alone.

To help single mothers acquire marketable skills, Juita or Badan Amal dan Kebajikan Isteri Wakil-Wakil Rakyat Johor, together with Yayasan Pembangunan Keluarga Darul Ta'zim (YPKDT) implemented an income-generating skills programme for single mothers in 2003.

The programme was the 12th in the Juita-ku Sayang series of community projects.

Single mothers were able to acquire entrepreneurial skills from courses for foot reflexology and spa management, cooking, pastry-making, food and beverage packaging, tailoring, hairdressing, handicrafts, child-minding, nursery care and gardening to start a business.

Juita is led by its president Prof Datin Paduka Dr Jamilah Ariffin, who is the wife of Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.

Since 1995, Juita has implemented 13 welfare programmes in its Juita-ku Sayang series following its smart-partnerships concept.

The programmes were conducted in cooperation with state departments, non-governmental organisations and the private sector.

On June 25, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Juita, YPKDT and the Johor Corporation (JCorp) to establish a Reflexology Kiosk at A-Mart in Kempas. It would be managed by Damansara Assets Sdn Bhd.

In a simple ceremony on July 30, this kiosk was officially opened by Jamilah.

The event was witnessed by representatives from JCorp's women's club, known as Mutiara Johor Corporation; Johor Land Bhd, Damansara Assets, YPKDT and Johor Soka Gakkai Association.

The kiosk will be operated by five single mothers who are among 46 participants who had honed their skills with scientific knowledge at a holistic therapy certificate course with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in 2008.

These therapists also took up a pre- and post-natal therapy course under YPKDT.

Jamilah hoped the kiosk will be the first of many such kiosks to be set up in shopping malls, hypermarkets and airports.

She said with more kiosks at strategic locations, there would be more opportunities for single mothers to earn higher incomes for their families.

Fourteen women who had completed their training received automated equipment to help them start their businesses. Among the items were a sewing machine, cake-mixer, clothes dryer, waffle-making machine and freezer.

Ratna Haryati Ramlan started a plant nursery in her own garden with a capital of RM1,500 from YPKDT after she completed her gardening course.

She said during the eight years it took to develop her business, she first set up a stall at the Saturday morning Pasar Tani in Larkin before expanding to Bandar Baru Uda.

In recognition of her entrepreneurial skills and business success, she was awarded RM3,000 to develop her business further.

During the ceremony, Jamilah presented 100 low-income single mothers with gift packs sponsored by JCorp.

The gift packs, valued at more than RM300 each, contained pieces of fabric, toiletries from Juita, and 5kg bags of rice from YPKDT, and RM50 for each recipient from Soka Gakkai.

The children of single mothers were also treated to Kentucky Fried Chicken meal boxes.

Since May 2003, YPKDT, in partnership with Juita, has trained more than 2,000 participants in their courses.

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Break fast at Kluang RailCoffee

Posted: 08 Aug 2011 09:46 AM PDT

FOR more than 73 years, Kluang RailCoffee has been a favourite destination for both locals and visitors to Kluang, first at its original canteen in the Kluang Railway Station and, recently, in their town outlets.

During the fasting month, customers can enjoy their breaking of fast meal in a nostalgic coffee shop ambience. From now until Aug 28, Kluang RailCoffee will be serving a Ramadan buffet in a different daily menu of main courses with several consistent favourites.

There will be green bean porridge, fruit juices and Kluang RailCoffee's signature hot coffee as well as juicy dates to whet your appetite in an East-meets-West menu. The rotating menu includes appetisers and desserts like pudding, spring rolls, sandwiches, curry puffs and a range of local kuih.

As Kluang is situated in an agricultural zone, one can look forward to a variety of fresh fruits including dragon fruit and watermelon.

For a start, there's smooth chicken porridge that will certainly go down well after fasting from dawn to dusk. A variety of noodles comes in a choice of mee Siam, mamak-style fried noodles, soup noodles and chicken mushroom spaghetti.

The chicken choices change daily and they include grilled black pepper chicken, barbecued chicken, Hainanese chicken chop, Hainanese fried chicken, ayam masak merah and ayam masak lemak.

Seafood lovers will enjoy the daily choice of prawn or squid sambal, fish curry, lemon fish or asam pedas fish. To balance off the rich portions of grilled lamb shoulder, beef curry and lamb rendang, and an interesting range of garden salads and sauces including a traditional platter of there is rojak tauhu and an interesting range of garden salads and sauces including a traditional platter of ulam and matching condiments.

The Ramadan Buffet is priced at RM25 nett per adult and RM17 nett per child aged 6 to 12. Rail Hotel guests enjoy a 20 per cent discount.

The halal-certified Kluang RailCoffee café, with a surau available, is located at 20 & 21, Jalan Tasik 1, Pusat Perniagaan Tasik, Kluang.

For enquiries and reservations, call 07-773 8391 or fax 07-772 8390.

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Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Selasa, 9 Ogos 2011

NST Online: StreetsJohor

NST Online: StreetsJohor

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