PNG Fashion & Design Week has received a sponsorship of K10,000 from the Sesago Healthcare Ltd for its inaugural virtual runway.
PNGFDW founder and director, Janet Sios, said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PNGFDW has taken a creative approach with the fashion show being arranged virtually.
Sios said PNG Fashion & Design Week runs two main programs annually.
These comprehensive trainings have been supported by PNG-Australia Partnership for the last three years and have been very successful.
“We have trained more than 800 locals, including 76 persons with disabilities in the last five years,” she said.
“The second program is the fashion runways where our designers are given the opportunity to showcase their designs on the runway for greater recognition.”
To strengthen the partnership, PNGFDW also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sesago for a duration of one year.
Sios said: “We never approached any private organisation in this manner, (until) we heard of their products that promote wellness and health and beauty products, personal care products. There is an area where we can partner in and pursue some of the opportunities to empower many of our designers.
“Our purpose for this corporate partnership with Sesago is to express our intent or desire to collaborate and promote each other’s business activities, development and growth in our products and services in PNG.”
Pradeep Panda, the sales manager for Sesago Healthcare Ltd, said it was a privilege for Sesago to partner with PNGFDW to support skills enhancement and human capital development in this country.
“One of Sesago’s key priority areas is to support the maternal and child health and women empowerment, and this is the part where we see the opportunity.”
The MOU signed as partner for Sesago to focus on three key areas:
- To support local designers
- Create self-help group for women – extend the credit line facilities to almost 200-300 women in which they can come and get products such as personal care, health and beauty and hygiene on wholesale price and sell for themselves as another source of income.
- In terms of focusing on women’s hygiene – currently working on a project that should be launched soon.
“This is just a beginning, we are looking forward to a long-term partnership,” Pradeep said.