Society for the blind empowers its members.

State Human Development director Billy Yumbod congratulating participants for being selected for the reflexology course at the launching ceremony at Palace hotel in Kota Kinabalu. 

Rosalind Chew

KOTA KINABALU:Sabah Society for the Blind hopes to reach out more visually impaired community to engage them into skill-based training to secure better paying jobs.
   Its president Rosalind Chew said the society had provided opportunity for its members to learn reflexology, aquaculture, weaving handicrafts among others.
   "They are no longer depending solely on government's monthly monetary aid as they could earn almost RM2,000 per month each with those skills.
   "Some of them even have have set up own mini massage centres in the state, while others have been recruited to work in peninsular Malaysia," she said.
    The society is actively going into interior areas including Keningau, Pensiangan, Kinabatangan and few others to look for more disabled people to join in their programme.
   There are only 786 members registering with the society, while the Social Welfare Department recorded 2,728 visually impaired individuals statewide.
   Chew was speaking to reporters after the launching of the one-year reflexology course for ten blind people here yesterday.
   The Malaysian Skills Certificate level 3 course, which has started last month, is sponsored by Resource Development and Information Technology ministry via the human resource development department.
  "Their skills will be recognised as the one-year module is conducted by professional academy, and thus make them more acceptable and competetive in the industry," she explained.
  One of the participants, an experienced masseur Sedin Soton from Kota Belud, said that he believed that sparing time for the course would increase his income.
  "Previously I charged customer at RM25 for a 30-minute foot massage session and will consider to increase at least RM10 when I complete the programme," the 30-year-old father-to-be added.
  Also present was State Human Development director Billy Yumbod representing Resource Development and Information Technology minister Datuk Siringan Gubat to launch the course.
  Ends.