SDI organised a sharing session today on the findings of an in-house research titled Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) & Qualitative Study Among Urban Poor: Case Study Kuching. This study was carried out with the support from the Society for Kuching Urban Poor (SKUP) who operate a soup kitchen in the city centre as well as providing other forms of assistance to the urban poor population of Kuching.
Dr. Yuen Kok Leong, Research Lead (Social Inclusivity) in SDI, presented the results of the study, acknowledging the study scope covering only selected urban poor communities in Kuching and highlighting the need for more granular data on poverty due to Sarawak’s unique contextual challenges, such as geographical factors, to accurately reflect realities faced by the urban poor population. At the end of his presentation, Dr. Yuen shared recommendations to address emerging trends from the study such as including more support for naturally occurring retirement communities and integrating existing assistance with formal welfare systems. The session continued with a sharing by Mr. Peter Wong, Chairman of SKUP, where he introduced the background of the society and its purpose, helping the urban poor in Kuching regardless of creed or race, as well as the initiatives they have undertaken for more than 10 years. Attendees of the session raised questions and shared their feedback on the study especially for it to be a reference for future research on urban poverty issues as well as an expansion of the scope of respondents.
With the objective to provide inputs and recommendations on development issues for policy formulation, SDI welcomes collaborators for this study to further expand its coverage and be inclusive of more urban poor population throughout Sarawak.
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