Balancing Reef Restoration with Sewing Training

 

20 Kaviak women and girls graduated
from a week-long basic sewing training. 
Picture by Wenceslaus Magun

By ELISE LANGPAIN, 
(TVET TRAINER, & CONSULTANT)

In Tranche 4, with a grant from UNDP BCF, MAKATA facilitated a basic sewing training at Kaviak village, Ward 4, North Karkar LLG, Karkar Island, Sumkar District, Madang Province. 

20 active and 20 to 30 observers who participated in the basic sewing training graduated from this sewing training, on Saturday, April 25, 2026.  20 of the active participants graduated wearing their sewn meri blouses.

TVET Trainer, Ms. Elise Langpain,
demonstrating how to use a sewing machine
to the participants.  Picture by Bonny Wadui

The training aimed at:

·       Building participants with skills for operation home sewing machine, cutting fabric, and producing finished garments;
·        Empowering participants to be familiar with handling of a sewing machine; and
·        Enabling participants to identify trouble shootings of a sewing machine.
 

Kaviak women and girls participating in
the basic sewing traing.  Picture by Bonny Wadui

This basic sewing training, is part of a climate change and blue economy training within the Kaviak Reefs Restoration and Climate Resilience Project by Mas Kagin Tapani Association or MAKATA, funded by UNDP BCF through a New Zealand aid, with support from CEPA.  

It aims to balance Kaviak Villagers’ Coral Reef Restoration and Climate Resilience’s Project.

Kaviak girls and women stitching parts of
their meri blouse in the training. 
Picture by Bonny Wadui.

This 40 hours, week-long training, aimed at empowering participants mostly women and girls and a few men with the foundational sewing with skills.

The training covered machine operation, pattern cutting, and garment assembly.

Participants learned to produce items like meri blouse.

The course enhanced their technical skills including stitching and pattern design.

Kaviak women and girls stitching parts of
their meri blouse in the training. 
Picture by Bonny Wadui.

PNG meri blouse or (meri kolos) is a popular, loose fitting garment introduced by missionaries in the late 1800s, serving as a national dress.

Often sewn by local Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) creators, it features a round-neck, free hand cut design, sometimes worn with a skirt or short.  It is worn for both formal and casual occasions.

A Balang clan woman sewing meri blouses
using the knowledge and skills gained from the
training with one of the two sewing machines
donated to Balang by MAKATA. 
Picture by David Magu.

Success story

One of the four clans in Kaviak, Balang a sub-clan of Wolan is moving forward in implementing what they were trained to do.

On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, their clan leader Mr. David Magu shared pictures and informed MAKATA that his clans' women have already started utilizing the knowledge, skills and the sewing machines MAKATA donated to them through a grant from UNDP BCF and CEPA have started sewing meri blouses.

According to Ms. Winnifred Duk, a PhD candidate at the New South Wales University in Australia, who also hails from Kaviak village, Balang clan within Kaviak Village is a vibrant clan.  With two sewing machines donated to Balang clan, Ms. Winnifred believes this will make Balang clan thrive.

The other three clans MAKATA had donated two sewing machines, materials and tools and equipment to as part of the sewing training products include: Kaviak, Kulkul, and Wolan.

Balang women busy at work, sewing meri
blouses for sale.  Picture by David Magu

Materials and Equipment and Steps to Sew Meri Blouse
 
Materials and Equipment used for the training are:

1 Materials and fabric
2  Threads
3  Hand sewing and machine needles
4  Scissors
5  Tape measure
6  Tacking pins
7  Sewing cotton
8  Embroidery cotton
9  Safety  pin

On Day 3 of the week-long Basic Sewing
Training first 15 women and girls finished
sewing their meri blouses.  Picture by Bonny Wadui.

Preparation and Measurements

Fabric: 2.5m or 250cm

Key measurements:

Length (shoulder to hem), width (across the chest/around the body), Sleeve length/ width.

Cutting method:

Free – hand

Cutting the pieces
 
Main Bodice:
 
Cut one large front piece and one large back piece folded at the shoulder. Width should allow for generous gathering (78cm -80cm across for width).
 
Sleeves:
 
Cut two rectangular pieces for sleeves (roughly 16cm x 54cm or width for the puffiness)
 
Neckline/Facing:
 
37cm by 37cm piece of fabric for the neckline. Fold from one angle to another angle, measure and cut 10cm from the folded edge towards the centre to form a V-Shape neckline.
 

Kaviak women and girls participating in their
Basic Sewing Training.  Picture by Bonny Wadui.

Sewing the Meri-Blouse
 
1.     Prepare the neckline: stitch the two pieces of neckline together, cut around the neckline to ensure the V-Shape.
2.     Using pleats to make gatherings on the front and back of the bodice. Stitch to attach the bodice to the neck of the meri-blouse.
3.     Sleeve: take the longer curve side of the sleeve and pleat along the cuff, and stitch to hold. Pin to the bodice from front to back of the meri-blouse and stitch to firm it
4.     Side seams: sew the side seams from the cuff to the hem.
5.     Hemming: hem the bottom edge of the blouse.
 
Achievements and outcomes

·        Skills Acquisition: Participants developed proficiency in operating sewing machines and basic garment creation.
·        Empowerment: Women gained confidence to alter clothing or start small tailoring businesses’
·        Sample completion: All participants successfully completed one meri-blouse and wore them on their graduation.
 

A participant graduating from the Basic
Sewing Training.  Picture by Wenceslaus Magun

Conclusion
 
The training program was highly successful.  It provided essential sewing skills. Participants are now equipped to start their own businesses.