KUCHING, The Malaysian National Welfare Foundation (YKNM) and the UK-Malaysia Kecekapan Consortium have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to execute the Kecekapan-Rise programme, aimed at supporting target groups under the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development (KPWKM). YKNM was represented by its CEO, Nordiana Haron, while Dr Ramona Blanes, principal investigator of the UK-Malaysia Kecekapan Consortium, acted on behalf of the consortium at the signing ceremony, which was witnessed by KPWKM Minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri. Speaking at the event, Nancy highlighted that the collaboration aims to enhance the skills of the ministry's target groups in areas such as entrepreneurship, financial literacy, marketing, and social media. "Kecekapan stands for Key Entrepreneurial Cognitive Education and Knowledge Advancement Project: A Network, while Rise is Reaching Intellect through Social and Education (Rise). "This aligns with YKNM's objective of empowering target groups through education," she s aid. Nancy, who also serves as the YKNM Board of Trustees chairman, announced that Kecekapan-Rise will be conducted through a 12-week online course from September to December, fully sponsored by the British Council. "The course modules are developed by the Kecekapan Consortium and will be offered in Bahasa Malaysia, English, and sign language. "YKNM will identify suitable participants from KPWKM's target groups, which include the B40 community, single mothers, and people with disabilities," she said. KPWKM, in its statement, noted that the Kecekapan Consortium will provide the teaching and learning materials. Individuals who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate of participation recognised by the UK-Malaysia Kecekapan Consortium. The statement added that the pilot project, launched in Sarawak, involves 500 participants, all fully sponsored by the British Council, at a cost of RM2 million. Source: BERNAMA News Agency