ILTIZAM for Community
Fostering Resilient and Self-Reliance in Underserved Communities
This pillar enhances the livelihoods of underserved communities by addressing their socio-economic challenges. Through targeted interventions, we provide vital assistance that paves the way for long-term, sustainable development. Initiatives are also focused on emergency assistance.
Community Support Programmes (CSP)
Arts, Culture and Heritage
[ 1 / 2 ]
Arts, Culture and Heritage
Iltizam Seni
ILTIZAM Seni is an art residency programme designed to foster synergistic collaborations that support and empower young Bumiputera artists from lower-income and underprivileged backgrounds. By providing them with much-needed exposure, opportunities, and experience, the programme helps these emerging talents build sustainable careers in Malaysia’s art industry. In addition to nurturing their creative abilities, ILTIZAM Seni equips these artists with essential non-creative skills, critical for long-term success and sustainability in the art world.
Stories
Food Distribution – Islamic Aid Malaysia
Pertubuhan Bantuan Islam Malaysia/Islamic Aid Association Malaysia (IAM) or formerly known as IRM Association is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) involved in humanitarian activities. IAM focuses on people from disadvantaged backgrounds and also involved in specific relief activities during festive seasons in Malaysia for instance, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year and Deepavali, as well as emergency relief for people affected by natural disasters or pandemic.
The beneficiaries are within the B40 income bracket, focusing on single mothers with many children, senior citizens, families with disabilities and families with many children. Assistance provided comes in the form of food packages containing daily necessities such as rice, sugar, salt and many others and are distributed to communities living at Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) flats around Kuala Lumpur.
IAM collaboration with ILTIZAM started in 2018 and since then, ILTIZAM has been supporting IAM’s Jejak Prihatin Imarah Ramadan every year. The collaboration also extended when the pandemic hit and the Movement Control Order was implemented as a lot of them were affected due to not being able to work.
“We always look for the right partner to champion our initiatives. The knowledge, expertise and capabilities of the NGOs and corporations are different but most of the time complementary. With ILTIZAM, we have successfully reached our common goal to help those from disadvantaged backgrounds alleviate their burden by providing short-term assistance and support to these communities to ease their burden during difficult times and to bring some cheer to the communities,” commented its president, Zawahir Che Abdullah.
As a team, IAM and ILTIZAM work together from identifying the beneficiaries to volunteering their time to distribute the food packages to the recipients. Zawahir concluded, “If you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go together as in this case, it has certainly helped in serving more underserved communities.”
ILTIZAM’s first involvement in food distribution for the underprivileged urban community was with IAM, and it was only done in Ramadhan. From that exposure, ILTIZAM has expanded this initiative and in 2020 collaborated with 70 NGOs and did food distribution to 11,000 families.
Jom Breakfast – Institut Onn Jaafar
Institut Onn Ja’afar (IOJ) found that most of the soup kitchens provided by other Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) operate at night to feed the homeless in Kuala Lumpur area and IOJ noticed there was a gap in that and realised the immediate need to provide breakfast, especially for the underprivileged students. A study conducted by IOJ showed that students who have breakfast are twice more likely to achieve an above-average educational performance as compared to students who do not.
Jom Breakfast, as its name indicates, is an effort to provide breakfast for underprivileged children and homeless around Kuala Lumpur through collaboration with other NGOs such as Pusat Transit Gelandangan Kuala Lumpur, Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih, Yayasan Chow Kit’s KL Krash Pad, and Pusat Aktiviti Kanak-Kanak Chow Kit.
Charles Mohan, Chief Executive Officer of IOJ elaborated, “The collaboration with ILTIZAM started in 2018, guided by the same purpose to help those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Apart from providing food, we intend to instil a broader perception of life and encourage a more appreciative attitude amongst the volunteers especially the university students, as we hope they develop a selfless nature and a habit of giving after they interact with these children. In addition, we also wish to inspire the beneficiaries to pursue higher education when they are exposed to the university students on a regular basis.”
“Ekuinas has proven to be a very strong partner with IOJ and the assistance they provided has benefitted many recipients under the B40 category over the past few years. Through this, they also have enabled us to be an advocate of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of No Poverty and Zero Hunger. We hope that their support will continue to allow us to make a huge difference in the lives of more people who are in need,” said Charles Mohan.
The Batik Boutique
The Batik Boutique is an award-winning social enterprise that provides training to women from low-income backgrounds to produce gifts and fashion accessories made from the Batik.
Founded in 2010, it started as a small sewing group of 20 single mothers from low-income groups working together make ends meet. They are largely ladies who live at the Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) Kota Damansara. With Batik Boutique, the women’s handwork is being sold and marketed not only in Malaysia but also exported to the US and Europe, under the said brand.
Batik Boutique’s objective to empower underprivileged women with skill sets and basic business management in order to achieve financial independence has captivated ILTIZAM since 2015 to collaborate with the social enterprise under its Community Enrichment Programme.
ILTIZAM assisted Batik Boutique’s expansion plans by contributing towards it new and bigger training centre in early 2018. Sewing equipment of various capacities, furniture and fittings were provided together with the necessary training expenses, all with the hope that more women can be helped via this enterprise.
The seamstresses, which are now greater in numbers, have evolved to become more confident. They are now more articulate when expressing their ideas and thoughts about their work, brought on by the weekly meetings, training and discussions at the workshop. More importantly, these women have strengthened their ties with their families.
The Batik Boutique has become a shining example of how economic empowerment improves people’s lives holistically. Today, the enterprise boasts of having more than 150 artisans working with them to gain a fair, sustainable income and marketable skills. ILTIZAM is proud to have supported The Batik Boutique and played a role in empowering these women’s lives.
For more information on The Batik Boutique, please log onto www.thebatikboutique.com
Our Impact
Total Funds Disbursed (Since 2012)
xxxx
Number of Beneficiaries
xxxx