Sabah women business leaders pledge to raise funds for nurses to buy essentials

KOTA KINABALU: Women entrepreneurs and professionals in Sabah are hoping to raise enough funds to help nurses purchase needed essentials as they stay on the front lines battling Covid-19.

Members of Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals Association (Swepa) are targeting to raise as much money as possible to benefit as many nurses as they can through their programmes.

Swepa executive member in charge of public relations Datuk Aminah Ambrose said the fundraising will be done during the run-up to the association's 27th installation ceremony scheduled for Nov 27.

The move, she added, is in line with its HEAL (hope, enlightenment, aspire and love) theme for this year’s installation ceremony.

“We hope to sell training packages among other things to raise funds for this cause,” she said, adding that they have yet to set a targeted amount.

Aminah said they will be working with Sabah Nurses Association to make this fundraising a success.

Asked what items they hope to purchase with the funds collected, she said hygiene products including soap and towel for the nurses to use on their daily operations.

She said they received contributions in the form of personal protective equipment but hardly hygiene products during the pandemic.

“Due to the necessity for them to bathe before and after each duty at their workplaces as well as when they are home, there is an increase in expenses on these products that people are not aware of.

“That is why we want to help in this sense,” she explained.

Apart from helping the nurses, they also hope to have some funds to benefit their 100-plus Swepa members affected by the pandemic and to conduct programmes beneficial to the association and the public.

Meanwhile, Swepa's installation ceremony is expected to be held virtually from 2pm to 5pm on Nov 27.