Kota Kinabalu: The Singapore International Foundation (SIF) Young Social Entrepreneurs (YSE) Regional-Sabah programme will run from Feb 24-25 here.
The Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (Scenic) co-organises the programme.
The YSE Regional-Sabah programme aims to inspire, equip and enable youths with the social entrepreneurial know-how and networks to launch or grow their social enterprises.
Applications are open to youths aged 18 to 35 and based in Sabah.
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Participants will attend business clinics, capacity-building, and networking workshops at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).
They will meet and learn from Singaporean and Malaysian professionals in various areas, such as design thinking for good business, social impact assessment and pitching skills.
They will also share their challenges and solutions with peer social enterprises.
SIF Programme Divisions Director Jaryll Chan said they are excited to bring YSE Regional to Sabah for the first time.
“Malaysia is home to many enterprising youths, and the social entrepreneurial scene in Sabah is vibrant and thriving,” he said.
“The SIF wants to support young changemakers to turn their social business ideas into reality, and in turn, uplift lives.”
On the final day of the programme, each team will pitch their business plans to a panel of judges.
The top three teams will have the opportunity to further their YSE journey in the 2024 edition of the main international programme, YSE Global.
Scenic will cover the accommodation and travel expenses to Singapore for the top three shortlisted Sabahan teams.
Scenic General Manager Viviantie Sarjuni said the opportunity to host YSE Regional-Sabah arose after Scenic was introduced to the SIF through an agency in Malaysia’s federal government.
“I am deeply grateful to the Singapore International Foundation and Malaysia’s federal government for the trust and opportunity to collaborate in empowering young changemakers in Sabah.
“This cross-border collaboration will allow Scenic to not only showcase Sabah’s potential but also its societal challenges.
“By presenting a multifaceted view, Scenic contributes to bridging the state and federal governments’ perspectives concerning pressing challenges in Sabah, such as poverty and economic innovation,” she said.
Viviantie said such challenges require collective action, and social entrepreneurs from Sabah and nationwide could play crucial roles in creatively addressing these problems.
“To all youths in Sabah, never underestimate the power of your ideas as they could be the gamechanger Malaysia needs.
“Innovative solutions have the potential not only to create successful businesses but to contribute positively towards our society’s well-being,” she said.
Langit Collective co-founder Melisa Lim, who also won YSE Regional-Kuala Lumpur (2017), said her team learned a lot from their YSE mentors and speakers, such as guiding principles on pricing and managing relationships with her community farmers.
Langit Collective is a Malaysian social enterprise that aspires to economically empower rural communities and smallholder farmers in Sabah and Sarawak through agriculture.
Lim said one of the most valuable gains from YSE was our connection with a mentor based in Thailand, which the SIF facilitated for them.
“Being an SIF YSE alumnus also gave us access to social entrepreneurial networks and knowledge in the Asean region.”
Since 2010, YSE Programmes has nurtured a growing network comprising more than 1,400 youths of 43 nationalities, representing 674 social enterprises.
For enquiries and more information about the programme, email [email protected].
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