The ‘Program Wanita Bangkit@KPWKM MyKasih Kapital’ is an assistance for women who were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic to start a business with small capital in the field of e-commerce and small businesses that are not included under the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry, TEKUN and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM).

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said that the program aims to empower the economy of the target group, especially women, by optimizing the potential of individuals based on their skills so that they do not continue to depend entirely on government assistance.

Speaking at the ‘Wanita Bangkit’ program here on Saturday, Nancy said the MyKasih Kapital participants will be assessed, monitored and follow courses by government departments and agencies such as INSKEN, SOCSO as well as hear from the experiences and tips of successful entrepreneurs to prepare participants to enter the business field.

Nancy said that since her appointment as the Women, Family and Community Development Minister and chairman of the Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN) in January 2023, a total of 3,480 participants have attended the Wanita Bangkit@KPWKM MyKasih Kapital Program course from all over the country.

“During my recent visit to Penang, I was informed the program attracted 300 participants and YKN received a request to increase the number of participants, so we added 200 more to make 500 participants in total. This proves that women have the passion to change life for the better,” she said.

She disclosed that six months after the course, they found out that from 14,770 participants, 90 per cent managed to increase their income from RM500 to RM1,000 per month, while another 10 per cent saw their income increase up to RM3,000 per month.

She said that the approach of guidance and counseling as well as psychoeducation from the Registered Counselor of the Local Social Support Center (PSSS) to improve women’s identity, can provide awareness and exploration of new knowledge through emotional support.

This is important so that they can increase resilience and start a new life after experiencing loss of income due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, divorce, physical or emotional abuse and increased cost of living.

This partnership from PSSS is able to train participants to control stress and think positively in the face of business challenges, she said.

“The Wanita Bangkit@KPWKM initiative will not achieve its goals without solid and structured coordination and collaboration with industry players out there. The course sessions that are conducted provide a lot of exposure to guide the participants.

“YKN’s strategic partners such as SOCSOwh give briefings on the Housewives’ Social Security Scheme (SKSSR) and the Self-Employment Security Scheme (SKPS) to the participants, some of whom are housewives. This service scheme provides protection from domestic disasters and disability while managing the household while generating family income with the contributions made,” Nancy said.

She said that the Wanita Bangkit@KPWKM program also included a sharing session from mentor entrepreneurs who started from housewives to become successful entrepreneurs.

The sharing of experiences and business tips aims to inject enthusiasm and motivation and help widen the network among women who have started small businesses.

“I hope you take the opportunity of the Bangkit Women’s Initiative @KPWKM because this program is the best platform to raise the great role of women in the world of entrepreneurship.

“The Wanita Bangkit@KPWKM program will help women to get out of the shackles of hardship to become successful entrepreneurs, and then be able to help other women in providing job opportunities, taking wages and small businesses.

“Therefore, I would like to call on everyone today to take this opportunity to increase the family’s economic income so that they can enjoy a better standard of living in the future,” she said.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by BORNEO POST ONLINE

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