SIDS HQ Exco visit to the family of the late Madam Barbara Mendu Bay

SIDS HQ Exco visits to the family of the late Madam Barbara Mendu Bay, founding member and 1st president of Sarakup Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS) on 23 April 2022.

SIDS has proposed establishing the Barbara Mendu Bay Education Fund (BMBEF) to boost the level of education among the Dayak community. President Dato Ir. Alice Jawan pointed out that Barbara Mendu Bay was active in both the association and also in politics.

"She was the co-founder together with Dato Sri Tra Zehnder and many more. She played a key role in regrouping Iban women in Kuching, rural women who migrated to Kuching for work, and so forth."

SIDS at that time organised cooking, reading, and writing classes for adults and also emphasised education for Dayak women. Dato

Alice said the education fund would also serve to commemorate Barbara's service to SIDS.

She also explained what members should do to empower and support Dayak women to be involved in grassroots leadership.

"For this purpose, we will produce potential members to be recommended for any leadership position at the grassroots level. This is our way of empowering the role of Dayak women", said Alice.