Project: SVO Specialist Team (Garment Production) Project, Bhutan
Dates: May 2008 – Dec 2010
Venue: Zorig Chusum Institute, in Thimpu, Bhutan
Purpose: To train a group of Bhutanese in traditional and non-traditional garment production. They would then become trainers to other Bhutanese.
Beneficiaries: 25 youths and professional tailors from the first and second sessions each

The moment fashion lecturer Tan Peck Leng stepped off the plane after touching down in Bhutan, she took a deep breath and inhaled not jet fuel or gasoline fumes, but the sweet scent of fresh air. “It smells so fresh, even in the airport, which is surrounded by the Himalayas,” smiles the teacher at Singapore’s LaSalle College of the Arts. “Even as the plane approaches, you can already see Mount Everest.”

She was in this land of misty mountainscapes dotted by imposing, fortress-like dzhongs for a project to help develop souvenir products for tourists. The project, in collaboration with the Singapore International Foundation, was initiated by Bhutan’s Ministry of Labour and Human Resource and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“Youth unemployment is growing problem in Bhutan so there is a need to diversify to address labour concerns and market demands. Traditionally the Bhutanese produce crafts like wood carvings and thangka paintings (traditional religious Buddist art). So the organisations wanted to help them develop new skills,” says Tan. The Bhutan ministry and UNDP wanted the lecturers to develop a cirriculum and provide training for group of trainers. This would provide opportunities for school leavers and cater to the demand for the products.  

How did you get involved in this project?
The UNDP contacted Singapore International Foundation (SIF) about the project, then SIF contacted me and my colleague at LaSalle, head of fashion department, Ms. Emma Dick. SIF and the UNDP were interested in getting us to help develop a comprehensive cirriculum and do training in Bhutan for garment production.  

Why was there a need to train the Bhutanese in garment production, don’t they already have the skills?
The UNDP stressed that there was a need to emphsise quality control because the target is to also produce for the tourist market. Sometimes the quality of production is inconsistent. Also they wanted us to teach them contemporary pattern cutting or drafting because the traditional dress they wear every day requires only flat cuts. There are also plans for future sessions to help them develop small items for tourism sale, like fabric boxes, purses or pencil cases.  

What is everyday traditional Bhutanese dress like?
They wear long, flat-cut robe-like garments. Women wear the kira, a long colourful wraparound skirt and short cropped brown jacket over this. Men wear the gho, a long robe with a cloth belt. Only perhaps on weekends would they wear more contemporary garments like T-shirts and jeans. So they may not understand what darts are, for example, because their traditional clothes don’t require such tapering stitched folds.  

What were some of the lessons for these training sessions?
On the first visit, we gave them a test in sewing and finishing. I brought lots of farics, garments and seam samples and sewing tools to show them. I taught about the different types of fabrics, the different seams used for particular types of garments. We also showed them how to sew a shirt and blouse using the right methods and finishing.  

How did they react to seeing new fabrics they had never seen before?
When I spread out the fabrics, they said ‘wow, what is this?’ They were so interested and fascinated. Many might not understand what silk, cotton, or linen are or the difference between natural and man-made fabrics so I asked them to do a hand feel. It’s only by feeling the fabics that you can understand the characteristics. Natural fabrics feel cool on skin and are easily crumpled. Synthetics like rayon, nylon and polyester are a mixture of chemical reactions with cotton into filaments, which are then weaved into fabric. Their touch is warm and they don’t crumple.  

What sort of resources do the Bhtuanese have for producing garments?
They have pedal-sewing machines and an industrial machine at the institute. Industrial machines run on electricity at a faster speed and can handle thicker fabric like denim and produce better quality finishing. . In Singapore, we are lucky to have all types of industrial machines to train students.  

What were some of the challenges for the Bhutanese face in improving the quality of their garment production?
The professional tailors wanted to know how to produce a quality product with just basic machinery. There is no professional association for them, unlike the Textile & Fashion Federation in Singapore. I suggested they could go to India to purchase cheaper local-made machines. To upgrade and improve themselves, they would need to form a professional association, so they can organise things like acquiring machinery.  

Was this your first time volunteering overseas?
Yes! I never thought of doing something like this before, but when the opportunity came, I thought, why not give it a try? And I’m very happy I did. By sharing your skills and knowledge in a different country, to different types of students, you learn new teaching methods. You benefit as well, not just them.

Where did you stay?
I stayed at a hotel, Dragon Roots Hotel in Thimpu. It’s not a big or crowded capital, there are just a few streets. It’s very hilly. The population of Bhutan has only about 600,000 people.

What surprising thing did you discover about Bhutan?
That the Bhutanese eat cheese! The Swiss who were there in the past built the cheese industry. They eat melted cheese with green chilli. What was your favourite dish in Bhutan?
I love vegetables and one day, I found out that the veggie dish I was eating was ferns just plucked from the surrounding forest. So it was very organic.

What were the Bhutanese like?
They were very friendly and hospitable.

Did you form friendships while in Bhutan?
Well, surprisingly, I actually found a few Singaporeans there! Two women married to Bhutanese. I met them through the UNDP and SIF who organised a dinner party. One woman runs a Bhutanese restaurant.

What is the most important thing you learnt from your experience?
To be patient. There are some things they have not learnt so you have to be patient.