It’s not just in India where platform-based initiatives are aiming to boost women-run businesses. In Malaysia rural broadband service provider MEASAT has officially activated the Program Transformasi Usahawan (PTU) segment of the KampungDigital365.com joint initiative by MEASAT and app-based parcel locker network system Parcel365.
KampungDigital365.com aims to open up e-commerce buying and selling, income streams and job opportunities for rural communities through logistics, skill development and infrastructure support that help them overcome the limitations of living in remote villages.
The recently activated PTU platform enables corporations and individuals to support the sales of local products, as well as training and creation of employment for villagers.
The PTU will first focus on empowering women entrepreneurs to uplift themselves and their communities via the digital economy; subsequent phases will target youths and farmers, among others.
Participants in the PTU will be provided start-up capital, tools and access to MEASAT’s CONNECTme NOW high-speed satellite broadband Wi-Fi hotspot service to get their business activities off the ground while being trained in e-commerce and marketing skills to sustain their businesses successfully.
CONNECTme NOW supports all digital applications and online services including transactions, communications, training and other use cases.
Parcel365 allows e-commerce merchants, home-based sellers and general consumers to send and receive parcels 24/7 via a seamless and connected parcel locker network. Its aim is to help open up e-commerce buying and selling, income streams and job opportunities for rural communities through logistics, skill development and infrastructure support that help them overcome the limitations of living in remote villages.
The inaugural five-month phase of this initiative targets training for 125 entrepreneurs, in turn supporting 2,500 villagers from the Orang Asli community. Corporations and members of the public can support the PTU by ordering listed products from the KampungDigital365.com website to generate income for the villagers.
The PTU is also supported by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)’s Sharing Economy Programme, whereby MDEC empowers Malaysians by utilising crowd-sourced assets, goods and skills, to help them generate income via digital platforms.
The collaboration between MEASAT and Parcel365 enhances digital inclusivity among rural communities with the CONNECTme NOW agent serving as the local KampungDigital365.com programme operator.
CONNECTme NOW currently covers nearly 4,000 rural and remote sites. By 2027, the KampungDigital365.com initiative hopes to have 3,000 participating villages, generating 25 million e-commerce transactions annually.