BY Azlan Othman

The Youth Development Centre (PPB), Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports yesterday launched the community programme exhibition, Atelier Fashion and Apparel Design (KAFDA) 2022, to showcase the KAFDA course trainees and their designs while providing opportunities for business-matching and networking for local entrepreneurs in textile and creative industries.

The initiative also provided opportunities to unearth new talents in the field of design and clothing towards developing the youth and community for a stronger economy, especially the textile and creative industries.

Present to officiate the exhibition was Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad.

KAFDA 2022 was a collaboration between the PBB and Aewon Garment and Embroidery.

It ran for three days from October 29 to 31.

The exhibition was the result of the KAFDA course that was introduced and implemented on August 8 and ended on October 5.

The programme was an upskilling training for course participants who had sewing skills to learn graphic design and how to use tools such as Adobe Illustrator.

KAFDA 2022 involved 14 course participants, accompanied by four textile companies under the PPB Incubator Programme introduced in 2020, namely Zoha HN Enterprise, Gentleman Stitch Brunei, Cerita Fabrikku Sdn Bhd and Perusahaan Mazroni BKP dan Rakan-Rakan.

Additionally, five of the 14 participants were Pusat Bahagia trainees assisted by a sign language translator.

Their participation showed that the scope of PPB’s function and role has expanded with inclusive community participation in implementing market-driven courses in line with its new vision of ‘Empowering the Community towards Excellence’.

PPB also intends to become a skills training centre of excellence with an inclusive community, including persons with different abilities (OKU), through a capability development programme that can produce future-ready and multi-skilled human resources to meet the needs of the industry and apply skills of sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship.

Such effort is a response to the titah of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam during the 17th National Youth Day Assembly and during His Majesty’s unscheduled visit to the MCYS on November 30, 2020.

During the unscheduled visit, His Majesty expressed concerns about the welfare of OKU who enrol in skills courses at Pusat Bahagia to improve their employability, where His Majesty ordered serious examination on the issue of OKU overlooked by employers.

With the cooperation of several strategic partners such as Pusat Bahagia, Community Development Department (JAPEM) and Aewon Garment and Embroidery Company, the exhibition was a platform to provide creative individuals who thrive in inclusive entrepreneurship especially in showcasing their own creations, designs and brands.

Also present at the launch were Permanent Secretary (Sports) at the MCYS Pengiran Mohd Amirrizal bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud; Permanent Secretary (Culture) at the MCYS Pengiran Haji Mohd Hasnan bin Pengiran Haji Ali Hassan; Permanent Secretary (Community) at the MCYS Hajah Nor Ashikin binti Haji Johari, and Deputy Permanent Secretary (Culture) at the MCYS Dr Siti Norkhalbi binti Haji Wahsalfelah.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin