INTERVIEW: Our Focus for 2025 is Training on Photography, Digital Marketing, Cyber Security – Daniyan, COWA Chairperson
Mrs Maureen Daniyan, Chairperson of Customs Officers Wives Association, PTML Chapter spoke to reporters shortly after their 2024 end of the year party on achievements and immediate future plans of the chapter.
She reassured that widows of customs officers won’t be left behind in the association’s female empowerment drive
Q: It looks very much like an eventful year for COWA in PTML Chapter. Can you give us a recap of your activities so far?
This year, we have been able to commission our office and our skill and acquisition center. We have also had programmes for the women such as empowerment programmes like catering services, manufacturing body care products and home care products etc . Just recently too, as our own way to reach out to our immediate community, general mental healthcare outreach for our women stakeholders and officers. I will say it was a success because a lot of people benefitted from it. Few days ago, we visited the correctional center, Kirikiri , women section. In the spirit of the season actually ,we took gift to them. They were very happy to have us. The encouraged them they are hoping to see us again and we promised them that we will be back again.
We are looking forward to do better things, organize programmes, encourage people, encompass more areas We are trying to diversify from just empowerment to other aspects of life.
Q: Some of us witnessed the commissioning of the skill and acquisition center by the COWA President. Can you give us a figure of how many persons you’ve trained so far?
In the beginning, we trained about 15 people. After that, they had their preferential courses and we had to bring in more women. So about 30 to 35 women have been empowered so far.
Q: What message are you passing to the women as you’ve organised an end of the year party for the women and they are going home in high spirit?
It is a season of love and we are here to share love and we are here to tell people that this is the reason for the season, Sharing love, giving. I will encourage everyone look around you no matter how small there’s something you can do for someone it doesn’t really matter to consider the size.
Q: Is there a train the trainer program and do you have a template for them to also be mentors to future trainees?
Next year, that’s actually a particular program we want to focus on. We want train the trainers to improve themselves so that they can impact some of the knowledge they’ve acquired to the women and it will be coming up between February and March
Q: what other programs do you have coming up in 2025 aside women empowerment?
Our women are actually interested in different areas some of them wants
to take training in fashion designing, digital marketing and we are putting plans in place for that but surprisingly alot of them are interested in photography and i am surprised to get such feedback from them. Also a few of them have also told me that they are interested in cyber security
Q: What are your plans for the widows?
Actually it’s a very integral part of our program. We actually do not need to have a program like this before we take care of our widows, even if we don’t have a program from time to time we take care of our widows. Monthly we make sure they get something, quarterly we make sure they get something bigger than what they recieved monthly. They are not forgetten, we also always carry our a welfare check from time to time because we don’t want to leave anyone behind . And if their husband has served so well and he’s no longer here we believe that it’s our responsibility to take care of them and we are trying in the best of our ability to do that
