MEHELIAH OCEAN: EMPOWERING PONDOK COMMUNITIES THROUGH FISH-BASED SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEMP.935037Keywords:
Community Empowerment, Food Processing, Pondok Community, Social Entrepreneurship, University CollaborationAbstract
Community-based social entrepreneurship offers a practical approach to strengthening livelihoods among vulnerable and faith-based communities. Meheliah Ocean is a fish-based social entrepreneurship initiative implemented in Kampung Getting, Tumpat, Kelantan, to empower the pondok community through food processing, product innovation and entrepreneurial training. Addressing limited research on university-led technology transfer within faith-based pondok communities, this study examines how university-community collaboration enhances entrepreneurial capacity, income-generating opportunities and community resilience through the Lembah Barakah Programme. Universiti Malaysia Kelantan implemented the initiative through community engagement, training, facilitation and technology transfer. A qualitative descriptive case-study design was employed using semi-structured interviews, document analysis and programme observation. A total of ten participants were purposively selected, comprising six pondok community members, two project facilitators, one community representative and one technical/marketing support personnel directly involved in the initiative. Data was analysed thematically. Five themes emerged: strengthened entrepreneurial capacity; transformation of local fish resources into value-added products; improved production efficiency through Insoler Dryer technology; university-community collaboration for social impact; and enhanced community resilience through income-generating activities. Products developed included Meheliah dried fish, other fish-based products and anchovy seasoning. Participants reported acquiring processing skills, generating supplementary household income and gaining greater confidence in independently producing, packaging and marketing fish-based products with reduced reliance on external assistance; product quality was also reported to have improved through more consistent hygiene and drying outcomes following the introduction of Insoler Dryer technology. Overall, the initiative demonstrates that university-community collaboration can generate meaningful, inclusive social impact, while its long-term sustainability will depend on continuous mentoring, market access and sound financial management. These findings affirm the potential of fish-based social entrepreneurship to strengthen self-reliance and resilience among pondok communities.
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