SINGAPORE - She holds leather from an old plane seat in her hand and carefully stitches it together to make a notebook cover.
The material was made available to Ms Karen Tey, 26, who has cerebral palsy, by Singapore Airlines (SIA) as part of its collaboration with agency for disability SG Enable.
The tie-up, which began last August, helps craftsmen with disabilities to get free material, such as seats and life jackets, from retired aircraft to make sustainable products.
These craftsmen come from organisations like SPD, which works with the disabled, and social enterprise Singapore Fashion Runway.
All the organisations are partners of SG Enable's i'mable Collective, an initiative that showcases works from people with disabilities.
Five products have been created out of these recycled materials - book sleeves, passport sleeves, waist pouches and two types of baby bibs, and they are available at KrisShop, SIA's flagship online retailer.
All the proceeds from the sale of these items, which cost between $26 and $74, go directly to SPD and Singapore Fashion Runway.
Ms Tey, who uses a rollator to move around, started sewing leather products such as notebook covers and cardholders three years ago and the crafts are part of SPD's Artisan Collab range online, providing the craftsmen with a source of income.
Ms Tey said she feels happy to see her sustainable crafts also being sold on KrisShop.
She added: "I feel proud of myself because I have learnt to stitch. I am happy when there are customers buying the products that I have created."
Ms Betty Wong, divisional vice-president of in-flight services and design at SIA, said that the airline recognises the importance of giving back to the communities that it serves.
She said that its partnership with SG Enable provides a platform to empower people with disabilities to showcase their talent.
"It allows them to create meaningful upcycled products using parts and materials from retired commercial aircraft, with the proceeds going directly to the makers and benefiting them," she added.
SG Enable chief executive Ku Geok Boon said that projects like this, as well as a recent one which saw i'mable Collective artists work with local design store Supermama, show how cross-sectoral collaborations can bring about positive social impact.
The artists, who are from five different social service agencies including the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped, designed a batik-inspired lacquerware collection that was showcased in the halls of Milan Design Week earlier this month.
Ms Ku said: "The artists with disabilities now have an international platform to showcase their talents, while the social service agencies have greater capabilities in developing commercially viable products.
"Our enterprise partners can also tap our expertise and connections with disability agencies as they contribute to the disability cause. We look forward to more of such partnerships to build a more inclusive society."
Correction note: The newsmaker has clarified that the proceeds from the sale of the items will go directly to SPD and Singapore Fashion Runway, and not the craftsmen.
