Running a business demands managerial competence, but sustainable impact also requires leaders to integrate social responsibility.
For a group of Master of Business Administration (MBA) students from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Graduate School of Business (UKM-GSB), the “Inclusive Market Project and Charity Trade” (IMPACT) they organised recently gave them the opportunity to put social responsibility into practice, building skills for compassionate leadership.
Aimed at empowering persons with disabilities (PWDs), the hands-on activities – dumpling-making, bow-shooting, lantern crafting, and preparing jelly desserts – carried out at Bodhi Homecare, Kuala Lumpur, on Feb 26 promoted skill development, confidence-building and social inclusion.
The activities served as the students’ graduation project under the supervision of Dr Ummu Ajirah Abdul Rauf.
More than a conventional charity event, the programme unfolded as an interactive learning experience, where students and participants worked alongside each other, with children and adults with disabilities being guided through practical workshops designed to be inclusive, engaging and meaningful.
During the dumpling-making session, the postgraduate students demonstrated how to hold the wrapper, spoon the filling and seal the edges. For many participants, especially the younger children, it was their first experience handling dough.
With hand-over-hand guidance, even the youngest participants successfully prepared their own dumplings, sparking pride and joy.
The bow-shooting activity introduced elements of concentration, posture and coordination, which saw the students tailoring the simplified process of standing position, grip and aiming to suit each participant’s abilities. The room filled with excitement as first-time archers celebrated their attempts and small victories.
In the lantern-making workshop, the atmosphere shifted to one of quiet focus and collaboration. Working in small groups alongside elderly residents with disabilities, students guided participants step by step in crafting delicate paper lanterns, with emphasis on the experience rather than perfection. As the lanterns lit up, so too did the faces of their makers.
The programme concluded with the preparation of colourful jelly desserts. Students and participants worked together to scoop, layer and assemble the sweet treat – reinforcing teamwork and shared accomplishment.
According to the organising team, the objective of IMPACT is not merely to provide temporary assistance, but to create meaningful engagement that affirms dignity and capability.
“Inclusion is not a one-day gesture. It is a continuous practice.
“When we teach with patience and empathy, we also learn about resilience, gratitude and humanity,” Ummu Ajirah said in a press release.
The initiative reflects UKM-GSB’s commitment to producing socially responsible leaders who integrate compassion with managerial competence, according to the press release.
By transforming skills into opportunities and compassion into action, the MBA students demonstrated that sustainable impact begins with small, intentional steps, it added.
