ONE FOR THE ALBUM: Participants of 1Azam Giatmara programme with Michael (seated centre) and other guests after the closing and certificate presentation ceremony.
SARIKEI: Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development had recently allocated a total of RM40 million to eradicate poverty in the community under the 1 Azam programme.
The programme was specially tailored to help the targeted group in the low income bracket or living under the poverty line to increase their income, Sarikei Resident Michael Dawi Alli said.
Towards that end, the 1Azam programmes were divided into four categories, namely Azam Tani, Azam Niaga, Azam Kerja and Azam Khidmat to suit the needs and background of the target group, he pointed out in his speech when officiating at the closing ceremony of 1Azam programme organised by Giatmara Sarikei yesterday.
“Giatmara had been entrusted to implement the Azam Khidmat as the quality of skills training or courses it provided had been acknowledged to be capable of helping to generate extra income for the target group,” he explained.
While the participants of Azam Khidmat were offered skills courses, RM500 cost of living allowances and basic tool kits to change their livelihood for the better, participants of other Azam programmes implemented by the other agencies received a different kind of training and assistance, he said. For instance, the women were recommended to take up bakery, tailoring, vegetable farming and others, he added.
He described 1Azam as a comprehensive programme in line with the government’s serious effort to free the community from the grip of poverty once and for all, hence putting the country on track to achieving a high-income status.
In that respect, his office being the entrusted agency to identify the target group to benefit from the 1Azam programme would beef up their efforts to ensure its optimum success, said Michael who considered the on-going registration of the target group under e-Kasih programme as most appropriate and efficient.
Under the e-kasih system of registering the target group, he explained they had focused on zeroing on the hardcore poor by 2010 thus paving the way for the implementation of 1Azam programme which accorded top priority to heads of low-income families, followed by those in the poor bracket.
His office would forward the verified list of the target group based on the e-kasih register to the State Planning Unit (SPU) for onward action, he said, adding, SPU would assign them to the most appropriate 1Azam programme.
Michael presented certificates and toolkits to 29 participants who had successfully completed the 1Azam Giatmara programme during the function.
Among those present were Giatmara Samarahan manager Azahar Ahmad who represented the State Giatmara general manager and Pengurus Giatmara Sarikei Mohd. Azim Edeward Abdullah.