(HAKCIPTATERPELIHARA) AZMI SUCHIN

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SABAH

Subject: Suggestion for SIFE Community Outreach Projects

Referring to the SIFE four main criteria which are listed below, I have came out with
some ideas of community projects that a SIFE team may come out with to really bring
changes to the world. These ideas and suggestions will work best if it is being updated to
suit the SIFE team’s local needs, demands and necessities.

SIFE Main Criteria

#1 How free markets work in the global economy.

#2 How entrepreneurs succeed by identifying a market need and then profitably
producing and marketing a product or service to fill that need
#3 The personal entrepreneurial, communications, technology and financial management
skills needed to successfully compete.
#4 Practicing business in an ethical and socially responsible manner that supports the
principles of a market economy.

Suggestions

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Project 1

Project Name: Teen Techno-Preneur Camp (TTC)

Project Duration: 2-3 days

Project Venue: University Classroom, Computer Lab and Hostels

Project Participants: 14-18 years old teenagers

SIFE Members Needed: 10 +- (Depends on size of participants)

Criteria Hit: #1, #2, #3

Summary:

This project is a combination of a workshop and a camp designed to expose and educate
youngsters / teenagers to the basics of operation of a small business. The objective is to
develop the interest of business among young people at early age and also to let the
participants know about the technology available nowadays in helping people to run
their businesses. The project can be divided into two phases with 1 phase per day. The
first phase is a workshop on basics of business management including topics like
planning, organizing, marketing, operation and communication. The participants will be
given notes and lecture on these topics and will have to come out with a simple and very
basic business plan for their own ‘business’. The second phase of the project is where
the participants will have to transfer their business ideas into computer by typing their
simple business plan using Microsoft Word and produce a presentation using Microsoft
PowerPoint and also optionally produce a simple website for their business using simple
website design software such as Microsoft FrontPage. SIFE Members will act as
facilitators to guide the participants in using the software. In the end, the participants
will present their ‘business’ in front of SIFE Advisors, Members and maybe even
sponsors. To reduce the workload of participant, maybe it is a good idea to group the
participants into 3-4 people per group and each group should come out with a single

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business plan. The best group will be awarded and all participants should receive a
participation certificate. Through this project the participants will know how to identify
the market needs, utilizing the technology available as well as identifying global market
with the existence of the Internet as global marketing tool. Thus criteria #1,2,3 are partly
and fully achieved.

Project 2

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Project Name: Graduates 101

Project Duration: 1 day

Project Venue: University Classroom

Project Participants: University Final Year Students

SIFE Members Needed: 10 +- (Depends on size of participants)

Criteria Hit: #1, #3, #4

Summary:

This project is a one-day workshop for University students who are going to graduate
soon. The aim is to equip these students on the necessary knowledge for them to go
through the working world. Among the topics that should be covered are creating
effective resume, finding the right job, interview skills, identifying the difference
between companies and work ethics. This program should be handled by SIFE students
with the help of lecturers or advisors. Participants should be taught to differentiate
between different types of companies from multi-national, international based and local
companies so that they can wisely decide which one is the best for them to go to once
they have graduated. Participants are also expected to learn through lectures and
simulation on how to go through interviews where SIFE members can act as the
interviewer. This helps them to improve their communication skills. SIFE members also
should teach the participants on communicating formally with their future employers via
formal letters and resumes. Participants will also be taught about the danger of cheating
in resume because this ethical problem of people cheating in resume happens
everywhere and can resulted to dismissal from the company in the future. At the end of
the program, participants should be able to go through interview, write good quality
resume and formal letters, know the differences of companies and more confident to
face the working world. Criteria #1,3,4 are partly or fully hit by this project. Plus it is a

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very simple to organize yet the results can be amazing.

Project 3

Project Name: Ethics Week

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Project Duration: 4 – 5 days

Project Venue: University Surrounding

Project Participants: University Professors, Students, High School Students, Kids

SIFE Members Needed: 10 +-

Criteria Hit: #1, #4

Summary:

This project is a week long campaign to educate different level of people on ethical
issues. There are people who are not clear about ethics and ethical issues which are
happening worldwide. Ethics is very important yet it can be a very boring topic
especially for youngsters therefore it is important to tackle this issue creatively. During
the ethics week, there can be a talk or seminar on ethics for the University staffs and also
adults around the university who are interested to know more about ethics. Inviting
outsiders from large companies (especially companies who will be the judge for your
SIFE competition) to be the speaker is a good idea. SIFE members should act as
organizer to arrange the talk session. Also on the same week, your SIFE team may want
to organize a movie show showcasing movies which touch on ethical issues. Movies
such as The Enron Story tell an interesting story about how ethical issues can bring a
huge company down. Fantasy movies such as “Antitrust” are also good and entertaining
way to send the message to University students about ethics. For high school students
you may show them movie as well but you should also conduct events such as debating
contest and essay writing contest with the topics focusing on ethics and the importance
of doing business in a proper manner. For kids, you could go to their schools and tell
them simple stories on doing things the right way which is the basics of being ethical.
You may also conduct coloring, drawing and drama contest with ethics being the theme.
Also keep in mind to relate that ethical issues happen globally and with globalization
happening, it will become a major issue. Criteria #1 is partly hit while criteria #4 is fully

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hit.

Project 4

Project Name: “I Have A Dream” Project

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Project Duration: 1 day

Project Venue: Kids Nursery, Grammar School

Project Participants: Kids ( 7 – 10 years old)

SIFE Members Needed: 4 +-

Criteria Hit: #3

Summary:

This project is a simple one-day program aim to educate kids on different types of
occupation that exists in their community. This is important because it will allow them
to have an ambition or a dream which they can work hard towards it from small. SIFE
members in this program should act as brothers and sisters to these kids and tell them
stories about different jobs/occupations. SIFE members also should teach these kids on
savings, very basic concept of profit and loss and also identifying the local currency.
These elements are basic ideas of free market and also the root to their dreams.
Participants will have to write their dream occupation on a piece of paper creatively and
bring it home to their parents. This will also help your SIFE team in getting recognition
and hopefully more support in the future. If you have time, you may fulfill some of these
kids dream. For example, if a kid wants to be a fireman, you may want to try to organize
a class trip to the fire station. All these activities with kids are strong points especially if
it is equipped with videos during your SIFE presentation.

Project 5

Project Name: X-ploring The World

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Project Duration: 1 month

Project Venue: SIFE teams worldwide

Project Participants: Varies

SIFE Members Needed: 10 +-

Criteria Hit: #1, #2, #3, #4

Summary:

This project is a HUGE project and many times SIFE teams have failed in doing this. The
concept is simple but the implementation is big and can be expensive. The idea is to take
one or two of your best past projects, produce documentation of that project and
introduce it to SIFE teams worldwide. Many teams have failed because they went to
different countries bringing the whole 10+ members team to carry out the projects
internationally. There are also SIFE teams that managed to do this project to 1 or 2
countries only and there are SIFE teams that never travel but just send the documentation
to other teams in other countries. My best suggestion would be break the SIFE team and
send 2 members to neighboring countries and work with their SIFE teams doing YOUR
OWN projects. The teams will get recognition of doing project with your team but you
will get recognition doing project with many different teams. It is an expensive project
but the best thing is to send small group of people to different places rather than sending
one big team to one place. In the end your SIFE team will be proud to be able to
introduce and carry out your own original project in various countries. Sending
documentation through e-mail and hoping other teams to conduct your project is not that
effective since judges during competition will doubt on your team commitment towards
the project. The best thing about this project is that it is a continuous effort and you may
continue doing it and adding more countries every year.

Project 6

Project Name: World Soccer

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Project Duration: 1 day

Project Venue: Local Basketball court or Football field

Project Participants: Kids

SIFE Members Needed: 10 +-

Criteria Hit: #1 #3, #4

Summary:

A one-day project combining fun with learning. We will use Soccer as a theme in
teaching these teenagers on the basic concept of global trading, world demand and supply
and financial management.

Firstly, all participants or soccer players will be valued in ringgit according to their skills
in soccer. The best players will have high value and the less skilled players will have
lower value.

Secondly, SIFE will select “10 team managers” and these managers will be given certain
amount of virtual money. Using this virtual money the managers will have to draft/buy
their team players among the teenagers. Of course they have to buy 7 players for their
team and they cant buy all the good players as they will not have enough money.
Indirectly we are teaching them concept of financial management, trading and negotiating
skills.

Besides buying players, teams can also decide whether to buy “15 minutes coaching”
which is training session by En Hamdan. They can also use their virtual money to rent
jerseys for them to wear. So at the end teams will have to decide their team spending.

Before the competition begins, SIFE members will teach these teenagers why are some
products like football jersey, football etc are made outside Malaysia and why is it cheaper
to produce it outside Malaysia.

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At the end they will have a soccer competition. Fun and learning under one roof!

Project 7

Project Name: Financial Success 101

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Project Duration: 1 day

Project Venue:

Project Participants: Local Community – Owners of small businesses like shops or

restaurants

SIFE Members Needed: 5-10

Criteria Hit: #2, #3, #4

Summary:

Many small business owners do not have proper bookkeeping and financial management.
For example, in Malaysia many small business owners do not have proper account
keeping and seldom use their own pocket money as part of their business operating
money. Although these people run their own business, it’s important to teach them how
to differentiate between their own money and their businesses money.

SIFE members through lectures and simulations will guide these people on how to do
very simple account keeping so that every single cent of transaction can be tracked. This
will help them determine whether their business is making profit or not. Ethically this is
also something good for their business as this will practice them to be transparent.

Last but not least, SIFE members can teach this people how to improve the marketing of
their product. For example, you might want to introduce different ways of attracting
customers and simple ways of advertising. This will look good on your presentation

Project 8

HSBC GRANT LITERACY 2006

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Entrepreneurship : A KINDS OF AGRICULTURE IN SABAH

Project Status: On-going SIFE team Project

Program Goals:
1) To help improvise the standard of living of women community in rural areas.
2) To assist the indigenous Murut farmers of Kemabung in Tenom Sabah in fully
utilizing the available opportunities.
3) To maximize products that can be obtained from the raw materials (food and
vegetable).
4) To indirectly improve their quality of life by diversifies of products and diversification
of source of income.

Program Overview:
1) The program will bring together the indigenous rural farmers and the souvenir shop
owners as well as suppliers to convince the farmers that there is a market for their
product.
2) The farmers will be exposed to basic entrepreneurial knowledge and they will be
guided on how each of the final products can be made or produced with their fruits. This
will be done by showing them successful products in their market such as dried mango
chips and jam that resources came from rural farmers.
3) Introduce them to packaging and marketing to suppliers, how to package, how to label,
how to get their product out to the market.
4) Conduct a 2-way discussion between villagers, farmers and already successful
entrepreneur who are doing well in the similar business (from other villages)
5) Include awareness element of the modernization and outside world outside their
villagers. Try to bridge the gap by sharing of simple technology that can help their living.

Program Audience(s) Served (Reach):

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Adults

Women Entrepreneurs

Target Audience: Mainly consist of the indigenous Murut people whose main
economics activity is traditional farming. They do not have a fixed income and have a
very limited market. These farmers income are also based on seasonal and weather factor
thus creating instability of constant income. They have a very basic education
background with many of them went to school only up to 12 years old before quitting to
either work in the farm or help families to improve day-to-day income.

Anticipated SIFE Team members to be included: 12

Anticipated Partners (board members, community volunteers, others): 2

1) Jabatan Pertanian Sabah
2) Bank Pertanian, Cawangan Sabah

Total Anticipated Number of Audience Participants: 60

Impact: They will be able to fully utilize their produce and not let it go to waste by
looking at alternative ways to sell their products. The farmers will have less risk of
disruption in flow of income and eventually their income will rise thus creating a better
standard of living. With stable income for the whole family it is our hope that the farmers
may use their income to allow their child to continue schooling and eventually achieve
financial independence.

Sustainability: Sustainability is going to be achieved by doing follow up visits to the

village to see their progress and to see whether they need further help with the marketing
methods or any financial aid from government or various bodies. We will mentor the
participants to ensure personal attention for each of the farmers. We will act as middle-
party in solving any problems related to the relations between farmers and suppliers.

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