KUCHING: In order to empower their targeted group, including former convicts and drug addicts who deserve a second chance in life but have yet to receive any assistance, the Women, Early Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development Ministry has established the Low Income Family Empowerment (LIFE) programme.
According to its minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, the programme will help the targeted group improve their income level and skills.
“The Social Development Council (MPS) are responsible for eradicating poverty in the community, looking at the aspects of education and health.
“This is done by providing them with training to improve their skills and, at the same time, generate income and get them out of poverty.
“Through this too, we are committed and strive to overcome the related issues,” she said at the closing ceremony of the LIFE programme implementation guide workshop today (March 19).
LIFE is a new programme that has been approved under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) and is one of the programmes and interventions implemented under the ministry to address the poverty issue in Sarawak.
The workshop was held to refine the implementation of LIFE, including establishing the concept and intervention method for the programme, focusing on terms of reference for implementation and governance, improving standard operating procedures, and documenting management guidelines for implementation.
A similar workshop was held in August last year to develop a guide to facilitate the related agencies’ implementation of the programme according to the proper procedures.
Also present were the ministry’s permanent secretary Noriah Ahmad, the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary Colliner Gohe, Social Welfare Department director Adana Jed, and Women and Family Department director Salmah Jobeli.
