Empowering Rural Communities through Entrepreneurship Training: A Case of the Underprivileged in Sabah

Abstract

Despite the encouraging development in most Malaysian states, Sabah, one of the largest states, continues to lag, with many of its population living below the poverty line and lacking stable income sources. This economic disparity leads to various socio-economic challenges, particularly in rural areas. In an effort to provide equal opportunities to these communities, Yayasan Peneraju, under the Ministry of Economy of Malaysia, and Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa, under the Ministry of National Unity, have collaborated with UiTM Sabah lecturers to initiate their first joint program, Program Pembangunan Ekonomi Komuniti 2023/2024, which trained 360 villagers from five rural districts in Sabah. The comprehensive training schedule included six introductory modules focused on sustainable entrepreneurship, business creation, and long-term operation. By fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and providing practical business skills, the program aims to empower participants to start and sustain their own businesses, thereby alleviating poverty and improving their livelihoods. The initiative has received positive feedback from participants and has showed some improvements in the business performance of participants, suggesting that the program could be expanded to advanced levels and extended to other rural communities in Sabah.