21 February 2023
Maybank celebrates the opening of its second workshop at the Maybank Silk Weaving Training Centre in Takeo Province, Cambodia
Also, commemorates the graduation of 52 trainee weavers from two cohorts in 2022
On 21 February, Maybank officially opened the doors to its second workshop in Takeo, designed with high vaulted ceilings and equipped with wooden handlooms, the building will be a catalyst for transformation for current and future weavers and sericulture farmers in the region. On an area located behind the main workshop, the new facility can accommodate 25 weavers of the Maybank Women Eco-Weavers programme at any one time to continue weaving upon graduation.
The second workshop, which was completed in 2019, became an entrepreneurial hub in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic as it offered a safe working space where weavers can earn supplementary income through the production of handwoven face masks.
The launch event for the new workshop was officiated by by H.E. Pen Moni Makara, Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Chairman of Maybank Group and Maybank Foundation and Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Board of Trustee of Maybank Foundation.
Concurrently with the launch event, Maybank also commemorated the graduation of 52 trainee weavers from the two previous batches in 2022. The weavers underwent a demanding five-month programme of physical and classroom instruction, which included training in silk production, pattern-making, dye-mixing and sericulture. This cohort of graduates marks the 12th and 13th batches of weavers that completed their training at the weaving centre in Takeo province.
As part of Maybank’s continued efforts to showcase the impact of the programme on weaving communities in Southeast Asia, Tan Sri Dato' Sri Zamzamzairani also presented the Maybank Women Eco-Weavers’ book titled “Weaving Communities, Transforming Lives: An ASEAN story” to a representative from the Cambodian National Library to be included in their permanent collections.
“To the weavers, we are so proud of all that you’ve achieved during your time at the training centre, which serves as a testament to your tenacity and hard work. Despite facing insurmountable challenges, the weavers showed up, day in and out, for five months and pressed ahead till the end, proving that with adversity came unique opportunities for renewal.”
Tan Sri Dato' Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa
Chairman of the Maybank Group and Maybank Foundation
“We are pleased to commend our partner, Color Silk and our weavers and farmers, who have continued throughout the years, to play key roles in the preservation of our traditional crafts. We are confident that our next weaving generation will bring more significant accomplishment to sustain this weaving tradition and spread the beauty of our ASEAN’s textile globally.”
Rath Sophoan
CEO of Maybank Cambodia
As an ASEAN accredited organisation, Maybank Foundation has been actively supporting weaving communities in ASEAN through the Maybank Women Eco-Weavers programme since 2016. The programme is one of the key initiatives expected to realise the Group's sustainability goal of improving the lives of two million households across ASEAN by 2025.
(caption) Graduates pose with Pen Moni Makara, Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts; Tan Sri Dato' Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Chairman of the Maybank Group and Maybank Foundation; Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, member of the Board of Trustee of Maybank Foundation and other top officials from Maybank.
