KUCHING: A team of students with special educational needs from Kolej Komuniti Kuching has won a gold medal at an international innovation competition with a sustainable tote bag made from textile waste.
The team clinched the top prize in the Special Education Needs – Agriculture/TVET category at the International Agrifood and Biotechnology Festival @ Special Education Needs (iFAMB@SEN2026), held at Politeknik Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah (POLISAS), Pahang, from Aug 2 to 4.
The winning entry, Greenova Tote Bag, is made from fabric scraps, leftover materials and textile waste from the sewing industry.
It outperformed 12 other entries from polytechnics, community colleges and vocational colleges.
In a statement, Kolej Komuniti Kuching director Sumbang Mandaw congratulated the team on its achievement.
He expressed hope that the success would inspire more high-impact innovations while continuing to raise the profile of Kolej Komuniti Kuching, the Polytechnic and Community College Education Department (POLYCC) and Malaysia on the national and international stage.
Meanwhile, the team was led by Special Certificate in Creative Sewing programme head Gracienthy Goen.
Special Certificate in Creative Sewing lecturer Nor Syarquella Ernie Khalid served as the team’s mentor.
The student innovators were Muhammad Irfan Mirza Zuliskandar, who has a specific learning disability (SLD), and Mohamad Danish Dzulkornain, a student with an intellectual disability.
According to Gracienthy, judges evaluated entries based on innovation, poster presentation, product demonstration, commercial value, sewing quality and environmental sustainability.
“Greenova Tote Bag caught the judges’ attention by combining sustainability, creativity and commercial value through the reuse of textile waste, helping reduce waste generated by the sewing industry.
“Besides serving as a practical and durable multi-purpose bag, the product adds value to discarded materials while supporting circular economy practices and raising awareness of environmental conservation.
“This achievement demonstrates that students with special educational needs are capable of producing high-quality innovations that can compete internationally, while highlighting the effectiveness of an inclusive Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) approach,” she said.
The college said the achievement was the result of the dedication, commitment and close collaboration between lecturers and students of the Special Certificate in Creative Sewing programme.
It said the innovation not only benefits the community but also supports the nation’s sustainable development and green innovation agenda.
