Meet Sandra, one of our workshop participants from Kampung Sayap, Kota Belud. Like many people in her community, she has always lived close to nature and learned many skills from her family while growing up.
One of those skills was craft.
“I started liking craft since I was young,” Sandra shared. “My mom used to make things like necklaces and bead bracelets. I learned a lot just by watching her.”
In Kampung Sayap, making crafts is something many people already do. Sandra and her neighbours often create simple handmade pieces using materials that are easily found around the village, especially plants like dalai and leputung that they grow locally.
But most of the time, the crafts they make are based on what they already know or what materials are available around them. Without exposure to wider markets, it’s hard to know what products people outside the village might want.
Life in the village can also be unpredictable when it comes to income.
Sandra doesn’t rely on just one job. She works as a farmer, sometimes a rubber tapper, and occasionally a tour guide for visitors who come to explore Kampung Sayap. But these jobs depend heavily on the seasons.
Rubber tapping and farming are highly affected by the weather, while tour guiding usually happens only on weekends or during holidays when visitors arrive.
Because of this, her income is not stable. On average, Sandra only earns around RM300 to RM500 a month.
Like many others in her village, Sandra has often wondered whether the craft skills she enjoys could one day become a more reliable source of income.
In fact, Kampung Sayap already has a community craft club with around 60 members. Together, they make different kinds of handmade items such as batik, rattan crafts, and beadwork.
During the pandemic in 2020, the group began selling their crafts more actively. When festive seasons like Kaamatan arrive, they can earn between RM300 and RM1,000. But outside festive periods, sales are much lower.
There are also many challenges when it comes to turning craft into income.
- Materials are not always easy to find, and prices vary depending on quality and size.
- Competition is strong among craft makers.
- Limited exposure online, making it harder to reach customers.
- Living far from the city makes it harder to get materials and deliver products.
For Sandra, joining the workshop felt like a chance to learn something new. “I’ve always liked doing craft since I was young,” she said. “When I heard about the workshop, I was excited to learn new skills.”
During the workshop, Sandra and other participants learned techniques that they had never been formally taught before, including how to sew properly and how to plan product sizing before making them.
For Sandra and her community, the experience was special.
“It was the first time we received proper teaching on how to do these things,” she shared. “I really appreciate the opportunity to learn.”
More than anything, the workshop helped Sandra see her own abilities in a new way.
Learning these skills has made her even more interested in craft and excited about what she might be able to create in the future.
“I hope this hobby can one day generate income,” she said. “And hopefully our community can grow together through opportunities like this too.”
For Sandra, the workshop is more than just learning how to make something with her hands. It represents the possibility of building a better future — one small skill at a time!
