Towards Sustainable Empowerment: A Guided Micro- Entrepreneurship Program for Unlocking Welfare Dependency in Malaysia

Productive Welfare under the Social Welfare Department Malaysia aims to end welfare assistance by developing individuals’ capabilities through government programs. The guided micro-entrepreneurship program is one of the means of empowerment, and sustaining it after the program ends is a challenge, especially for vulnerable communities such as Persons with Disabilities (PwD), single mothers, and the poor. This study explores the sustainable empowerment process among guided microentrepreneurs in a productive welfare program by addressing how sustainable empowerment occurs among guided microentrepreneurs. The study involved eight participants from Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, selected through purposive sampling from the Social Welfare Department Malaysia, 2 Years Exit Programme (2YEP). Data collection included interviews, observations, and document analysis. Thematic analysis reveals that sustainable empowerment is achieved through coping strategies, lifelong learning, and effective business management. Hence, achieving this requires consistent efforts, good program governance, and full support from the family and community. In conclusion, ending the cycle of welfare dependency and driving it into self-reliance requires whole-of-government and whole-of-nation involvement, long-term program planning, and utilization of coping resources, namely social capital, attitude, material, spirituality, and psychology. Empowerment gains significance when welfare beneficiaries embrace independence from assistance and contribute to the welfare of others.