KUCHING: The Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) implemented the 1Azam programme for nine families registered under the eKasih database this year.
The programmes offered were Azam Niaga (food kiosk) with six participants, 1Azam Khidmat (grass cutting) with two participants and 1Azam Niaga (convenience store) with one participant.
MPP chairman Lo Khere Chiang said the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development allocated a total fund of RM45,000 for the nine participants.
“However, the funding is not an outright allocation of money to the participants.
“The council used the money to purchase machines, equipment and goods for the participants.
“This will enable the participants to run a convenience store, sell the food and cakes they made and provide grass cutting services,” he said during the handing over of equipments to the participants at MPP in Kota Padawan yesterday.
He also revealed that earlier on, the participants were trained in financial literacy and given motivation to do additional work to supplement their income.
“We (MPP) will monitor the participants’ progress six months,” he said, adding that the success rate for the programme is at approximately 90 percent as past participants have managed to earn an additional income of more than RM300 per month.
Lo also said that another factor that contributed to the participants’ success is their consistency in running their small businesses.
Since 2014, MPP had assisted 52 families through the programme.
Families registered with eKasih can register for the 1Azam programme at MPP’s office at Kota Padawan here.
The 1Azam assistance is an entrepreneurial programme to help low-income households improve their economic standing and standard of living.
Meanwhile, two organisations – Green Science and Technology Association Malaysia and the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) of Kampung Telaga Air – each received RM500 from the council for their respective winnings in the Local Government and Housing Ministry Award 2018 last Nov 30.
