Women Ministry's Bangkit programme has helped nearly 19,000 entrepreneurs nationwide

KUALA LUMPUR: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry successfully helped and guided 300 women – breadwinners, single mothers or those who lost their source of income – through the MyKasih Kapital business mentoring course, an initiative under the Bangkit@KWPKM programme.

In a statement, the ministry said the course conducted in Lahad Datu, Sabah on Sunday (April 16) was officiated by Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (pic) to mobilise the programme, which has attracted 4,130 participants so far.

"The ministry’s objective through the MyKasih Kapital initiative is to empower... the target group and improve the living standards of women who need immediate financial assistance to start a business,” the statement read.

To date, the Bangkit@KPWKM Women's Entrepreneurship Programme has guided and developed a total of 18,900 women across the country through entrepreneurship courses and business start-up guidance with the collaboration of various departments, agencies and corporate companies.

This approach is to optimise individual potential based on skills in business to generate income, the statement added.

"The course provided is a basic preparation for women to start e-commerce businesses, dropship businesses and small businesses that are not under the entrepreneurship scheme offered by the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Ministry, the National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund or Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia,” it said.

The ministry said the aspect of mental preparedness and wellbeing is also a focus of the programme so that the women involved are guided by registered counsellors from local social support centres in recognising their own potential.

It said participants can then explore new areas of endeavour through such support and build the resilience needed to start afresh after setbacks such as the Covid-19 pandemic, divorce, suffering abuse, or bearing increased living costs.

The ministry said it was also committed to ensuring the dignity of women in all socioeconomic aspects and was confident that its initiatives can help the affected groups. – Bernama