Project Illuminate uses digital to help the disadvantaged

IPG Mediabrands Malaysia has launched Project Illuminate, a CSR initiative to help empower and educate underprivileged communities.
The initiative uses the network’s media, creative innovation, digital, technology and mobile expertise to create useful and engaging educational content in a modular format. This content is then rolled out to disadvantaged sectors of the community.
The Social Media for Business module was delivered to students at the YWCA Kuala Lumpur’s Vocational Training Opportunity Centre (VTOC), established in 1998 to provide vocational skills training for young women and girls from economically disadvantaged sectors of the community.
Bala Pomaleh, CEO of IPG Mediabrands, said, “We undertook this initiative to utilise our in-house skills and expertise to create relevant and inspiring educational modules. It is great to see the roll-out by our own talents, who volunteer their time to deliver it across the communities in need.”
Project Illuminate was launched with an eight-part Social Media for Business digital training module, culminating with a site visit to the Mediabrands offices last week. It was developed in collaboration with the team from Society, the social media and content-marketing agency within the Mediabrands network.
“We view this module as a useful add-on to the vocational training being provided by VTOC for these young women,” said Bala. “Through digital skills and media, we looked to empower the trainees to become more self-supporting, giving them the ability to have a digital lens on how they would view their future in developing income generating businesses.”
Mrs. June Yeoh, Chairperson of VTOC added, “Apart from integral course related subjects, we expose the trainees to a wide variety of courses such as leadership training, social issues and awareness programmes.”
IPG Mediabrands says any underprivileged community or NGO in Malaysia that requires help and support in digital training and up-skilling may reach out to them.