In Kiulu, Sabah, several rural communities have experienced a remarkable transformation through impactful community development. The Community Adoption Programme (CAP)—a collaborative initiative between RYTHM Foundation and Good Shepherd Services (GSS)—has opened new avenues for growth and empowerment, improving many lives.
At its core, the three-year community development programme wagered that given the right tools and support, people from remote communities (with fewer opportunities than their urban counterparts) could redefine their futures.
The CAP programme was geared towards supporting not just children’s education but also youth and women’s empowerment. Through the organisers’ and community partners’ collective hard work, the social impact initiative began to bear fruit—with participants like Francisca Dauni and Imelda Kasung embodying this transformation in inspiring ways while beating the odds.
Francisca’s Ecotourism Journey: Youth Empowerment Programme
Sabah is a well-known ecotourism hub with its lush greenery and rich rainforests. The more popular it gets among tourists, the more its beauty should be protected and preserved. The CAP’s Youth Empowerment Programme recognised this need and inspired young people to embrace sustainable tourism.
Francisca was an active Youth Connect Circle (YCC) member, a group that emerged from the community development initiative. Her community of youth leaders was small, but Francesca and her peers could manoeuvre around the responsibilities of running a sustainable tourism venture.
“We were able to collaborate and divide tasks, even though our community could be counted on fingers,” she says, recalling the determination it took to see their ecotourism venture through.
The programme provided them with technical skills—financial management, social media marketing, and tour guiding—but, perhaps more importantly, it gave them the belief that they could do this. And they did.
Beyond the financial gains, Francisca learned how to connect with people, make visitors feel welcome, and ensure they wanted to return. The journey wasn’t without its challenges—unreliable internet, poor transportation—but through it all, Francisca and her community built something they hope will last.
Imelda’s Experience: Women Empowerment Programme
Imelda felt happy when she got wind of a chance to do something she had never done before. The CAP’s Women Empowerment Programme presented an opportunity to learn how to start a business venture with the available local resources.
Imelda took on the challenge with determination.
The Women-In-Small Enterprise (WISE) initiative brought together female entrepreneurs from three villages—Kampung Ratau, Kampung Talantang, and Kampung Lokub—to launch agriculture, retail, and food services businesses. Imelda recalls the mixed emotions accompanying the programme’s start—excitement and apprehension.
She and her peers then formed the Kiulu Community Collective Enterprise (KCCE). They launched ‘Kiulu Kio,’ a brand representing the products they developed—the chilly paste Sambal Liposu and banana stem crisps. To supplement their product development skills, the female entrepreneurs attended workshops on leadership, financial management, and food handling, equipping themselves with the skills they needed to thrive.
Despite some challenges, Imelda remains hopeful about the project’s future. “I believe that embarking on a project is a long journey. I hope the KCCE project will continue to thrive and not easily give up in facing the ups and downs of the business world.”
But it wasn’t just about business but solidarity and mutual support. The women learned to navigate differences of opinion, viewing them not as setbacks but as opportunities to grow stronger together. The women speak of semangat kekitaan—a spirit of togetherness—that has came to define their work.
Building a Lasting Impact Through Community Development
Francisca and Imelda’s stories reveal the profound social impact of community development when it is driven by the people it seeks to uplift. It was about more than individual successes; it was about building a foundation that others could stand on.
Through collaboration, grit, and a shared vision, the people of Kiulu proved that resilience is a community endeavour. They weren’t just changing their lives but creating a legacy of opportunity and hope for future generations. Learn more about how these remote communities in Sabah are thriving today!
