EMPOWERING women brings real joy to Amanda Hamilton, who is a craft teacher attached to the Cane Grove Craft Centre, which is managed by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and she is more than a teacher; she’s also a mentor and a counsellor to many women of that community.

Presently, she is leading a team of 10 women from Cane Grove in various courses such as baking, cake decorating/icing, food preparations, tie-dye, painting and embroidery.

Hamilton told the Pepperpot Magazine that they recently finished a three-week course in cakes and 10 women were successful and received certificates of completion.

She added that the goal of the project is to empower and equip women with life skills to earn and become independent, so they can provide adequately for their families.

Hamilton stated that they have several ongoing like skill training programmes in pastry-making, cake-baking, icing and cooking in the form of meats and rice preparation.

She reported that they are also engaged in needlecraft, tie-dye, painting and the different types of stitches.

Hamilton related that she is from Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara and the daily commute to Cane Grove during the weekdays has become a norm for her because she sees the women not only as her students, but also as a large family.

She has been at the Cane Grove Craft Centre for the past 15 years and has developed lasting friendships with a lot of the women there and she would act as a counsellor or that go-to person whenever they have personal issues and need someone to talk to.

The Cane Grove Craft Centre was established more than 27 years ago, and when it first started, the classes were held in the Virginia School building until a new edifice was constructed specifically for the craft school.

“I feel good knowing I am making a difference in the lives of so many women who pass through this craft centre and for me it is personal to be able to interact with them and become close; it is indeed a gift to be able to help others,” she said.

Hamilton explained that the people of Cane Grove are simple, hardworking folk in a farming community and like anywhere else, they have some issues at home and they get a chance to exit the home and do their little project and they feel better about themselves and they are evenly empowered to do things.

“I have a position of trust with the locals and women and I do not wish to break that bond so I will remain confidential and be responsible to maintain a professional standard,” she said.

The educator stated that they have developed a WhatsApp group and they keep in contact regularly and she has an open-door policy, whereby any of the women can talk to her at any time.

“It brings me real joy when I know that I had a hand in turning things at home for the better. There are issues in the home and often, women who are housewives do not have anyone to discuss such matters with and it is often overwhelming for them,” she explained.

Giving a background to how she got into craft, Hamilton told the Pepperpot Magazine that after completing high school at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, her granny encouraged her to enrol in a Home Economics class.

She explained that she did well in that class and took a liking to it and she was asked to fill in for the craft teacher while she was on leave on September 9, 1995 at the Victoria Craft Centre.

Hamilton added that after the full-time craft teacher quit she got the job and has been in the craft profession ever since and she is loving every bit of it.

While at the Cane Grove Craft Centre, a few women showed up for classes and one of them is Khemwattie Inadipaul called Devika, who came from Strathavon and was in the baking class.

The mother of two told the Pepperpot Magazine that she feels good being able to learn to bake, apply icing, decorate a cake, and cook different foods.

She is a stay-at-home mother who hardly goes anywhere except to pick up her child from school.

Another student, Kaimatie Haripersaud, 31, said since enrolling in the class at the Craft Centre she has learned a lot since October last year and now she can prepare many new dishes.

Kristen Seecharan, 29, told the Pepperpot Magazine that she is part of a six-day cake-decoration course and completed that project with flying colours.

She is an employee of the Cane Grove NDC and a mother of one, who is a rice farmer.

Seecharran reported that she is versed in cake-making and did her uncle’s birthday cake which came out good.

Bissoondai Ballie, 47, a mom of three, stated that she was invited to the course by a friend and she is glad she came, because she can bake very well now after a few sessions.