Made-in-Chow Kit handicrafts by underprivileged women

UmieAktif co-founder Nik Sin Nik Man (second from left) teaching women of the UmieAktif project on ways to handstitch thread on an embroidery hoop. Photos: The Star/M Azhar Arif

Seated cross-legged on the floor, Fensy Feirani Mansur pins a batik appliqué of a shadow puppet character onto a tote bag. She stitches the appliqué on, making sure her whip stitches are evenly spaced, even as she chats amiably with her circle of friends. They have all gathered to make appliquéd tote bags for sale in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur.

Sewing patchwork and appliqué are new skills that Fensy and her friends have recently picked up at Umie Aktif, a non-profit social enterprise that aims to empower women in Chow Kit by opening up new opportunities for them to earn an income.