A journey to transform four damaged hostel units at the VTOC into vibrant and livable spaces via a DIY Training program for VTOC students is finally complete, with the launch of the Loft Studios in November 2025. Through this program, students gained DIY skills, participated in real-life refurbishment internships within and outside VTOC, earned valuable income and learned about possible career pathways and opportunities in the building industry. We wish to express our deepest

Under the 'V Is For Venture' project by YWCA KL's Youth Wing, a Harajuku-themed fashion collection was created by the Fashion & Tailoring cohort of 2023 will be showcased online for one year via an online boutique www.vtocstudios.com . A dedicated team of fashion teachers and volunteers guided students from sketching and digital illustration to garment construction, ensuring professional quality. The collection culminated in a professional photoshoot, providing the students w

Our heartfelt thanks and deepest gratitude to Starbucks Foundation and Starbucks Malaysia for their support of our VTOC youth and their education. The Urban Farm program funded by Starbucks Foundation in collaboration with EatsShootsandRoots culminated in a "Hari Harajuku" Farm-To-Table brunch on 17 October 2024 whereby volunteers from Starbucks Malaysia gave valuable feedback for this year's Japanese-inspired vegetarian menu by the culinary students using fresh ingredients h

VTOC participants of the 'V Is For Venture' entrepreneurship program were given an opportunity to showcase their creations at the Peszta Bazaar held at Stadium Merdeka over the Merdeka 2024 weekend. The Beauty Care students conceptualized a range of botanical soaps while the Culinary & Bakery team prepared buns and chocolate pudding for sale. Thank you to PNB118 for this amazing opportunity and to everyone for stopping by to support! The Beauty Care team 'Soapeholics' meticul

Thank you to Starbucks Malaysia for the opportunity to be part of the International Coffee & Beverage Show 2024 at the KLCC Convention Center! We had a blast creating a pop-up workshop for members of the public, who were able to match Starbucks coffee-bags and remnant fabrics to customise their very own Starbucks Upcycled Flavorlock Pouch and in the process, gain an insight into how these unique bags are lovingly made by women from the B40 community. We were also proud to see

It’s a wrap - The first year of VTOC’s Fashion & Tailoring Course has concluded and we look forward to another exciting year! The course covers sewing and tailoring, draping, fashion design and fashion illustration. Besides learning to sew and tailor various garments, students learned how to develop their own personal brand and fashion collection. Our deepest thanks and appreciation to all those involved in the program - Starbucks Foundation for funding the fashion program an

Through the VTOC Fashion & Tailoring Course, Datcha learned to use a laptop to create fashion drawings, eventually excelling in digital illustration and was able to even create her own original fabric print pattern for her final garment, despite not having a mobile phone at the beginning of the course. Her personal brand ‘Pappu’ is inspired by her childhood nickname and exemplifies her bright and playful personality. She was her own model for the final photoshoot and wowed us

Congratulations to our VTOC Culinary & Bakery class of 2023/2024 who proudly presented their annual farm-to-table showcase - the Banana Leaf Shell-Out on 29th February 2024, in collaboration with Bursa Malaysia, Eats Shoots & Roots and Starbucks Foundation! It was truly an amazing day with the Bursa Malaysia volunteers in the house supporting in the harvesting & fresh produce preparation and acting as live customers for the Hairdressing & Beautycare class. Thank you all for y

This is how we stride against gender-based violence! The morning of 2 December kicked-off with a 2km UNiTE Walk around Petaling Street — a colourful display of solidarity between YWCA KL’s Vocational Training Opportunity Centre (VTOC), Persatuan Pandu Puteri Kuala Lumpur, and Soroptimist International Region of Malaysia, organised in conjunction with our 110th Anniversary celebrations and the United Nations' annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign. At the

It was an honor to be featured on BFM Radio on 28th November 2023 when our President Joanne Yeoh, First Executive Director of VTOC Dato’ Ramani Gurusamy and Vice President Juwita Suwito appeared on air with Juliet Jacobs to share about the past 110 Years of YWCA Kuala Lumpur, along with some of our milestones, memorable moments, and future plans. Tune in for the Bigger Picture here: https://www.bfm.my/podcast/bigger-picture/live-and-learn/110-years-of-ywca-kuala-lumpur

Refiller Mobile was in the house on 22nd November 2023 when our Wednesday Morning Club enjoyed an incredible afternoon of learning about eco-products via a short talk, followed by lunch and eco-shopping, refilling used bottles with an array of eco-friendly household products and health snacks. A big shoutout and thank you to founder Oh Sok Peng for sharing about this innovative solution in educating and empowering communities towards recycling and protecting our environment.

Throwback to the first event in our 110th Anniversary Campaign - the launch of one of our most ambitious projects to date - the Community Oasis project on 25th October 2023! Thank you to everyone who came and joined us for an inspiring talk on food forests in cities and enzyme workshop by SEEDS Malaysia, a delicious Farm-To-Table luncheon featuring desserts by our VTOC students and plant mixology drinks by Eats, Shoots & Roots, and the unveiling of our Living Tree donation dr

Building upon the Y3K sci-fi film project produced by the VTOC students in collaboration with YWCA KL’s youth department in 2022, in September 2023 an immersive exhibition and community screening was organized entitled Y3K: Dreamworlds . This experimental exhibition sought to fuse together themes of environmentalism, art and education and was included in the line-up at the Klang River Festival 2023. Student talents from the 2023 cohort simulated characters from the Y3K dysto

In the wake of Covid-19, when the future of the economy remained uncertain and bleak, i t was critical to equip our VTOC students with added skills to survive in a New Normal should traditional employment avenues remain elusive. A sci-fi film production "Y3K" with environmental and technological themes, showcasing student creative and vocational skills was selected as a platform of experiential learning. Funded by Starbucks foundation as part of the VTOC Transformation proje

This is what we talked about - why we should celebrate how far we've come as women, and how we can all Embrace Equity in our own circles of influence. YWCA KL's IWD event on 8th March 2023 drew together various women for a morning of sharings and learnings. Datin Sheila Christine Devaraj sharing on the meaning and nuances of the word "equity" as opposed to the more familiar "equality". Volunteers enacted a "Race to Success" where participants were given notecards describing v

Introducing the Starbucks Upcycled Flavorlock™ Pouch project, a collaboration between Starbucks Malaysia and YWCA KL, now available in all stores in Malaysia. These whole bean bags which was once used to hold our package coffee has been upcycled with due diligence and care by the young girls of VTOC, women sewers and volunteers of YWCA, from cleaning to matching the cloths that make the linings of the bags. No one bag is identical! Our aim is to both create a positive impac

Spirit of Things is an advocacy video project intended to address the impact human activities are having on the environment, while offering viable solutions that society can accept and adopt. A collaboration with Project SEA*5, YWCA KL's Vocational Training Opportunity Centre (VTOC) and other local creatives, and co-funded by Mekong Cultural Hub and British Council, SOT is part of YWCA KL's aim to engage global issues with a larger community. Themes of upcycling and social en

We are sewing face masks for sale! Order some now to face the New Normal (pun not intended)...rm15 each or rm36 for three. DM to order. Special deals for custom and bulk orders! Our masks come with an insertion pocket and are available in a range of plain and patterned fabrics.

# YWCAKL_sewing for the nation In collaboration with Ms Sangeet Deo (Karpal Singh's daughter) and her team, Lions Club, MagnumCares and Ti-Ratana, YWCAKL B40 sewers and Orang Asli students @ Vocational Training Opportunity Centre (VTOC) sewed PPEs for the nation's frontliners. Lions Club and Ti-Ratana helped raised funds to purchase materials and MagnumCares sponsored the B40 and orang asli sewers @ YWCAKL to sew the PPE gowns. The B40 sewers are part of the YWCA Social Ente

Nov 16, 2019: The Rogue Festival was a call for youth to pick up arms towards conscious service which demonstrates the power of the people, the possibilities of creativity and social enterprise towards reimagining environment and empowering communities. It was organised in collaboration with Eats Shoots & Roots, funded by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, and was part of Urbanscapes 2019. The festival was also a showcase of the social enterprise effort