International Journal of Engagement and Empowerment (IJE2)

STRENGTHENING SELF-EXPRESSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES THROUGH FILM SCRIPTWRITING TRAINING AT RUMAH VOKASI HANENDA

2025-12-18T00:08:19+00:00

The short film scriptwriting training for persons with disabilities, organized by Rumah Vokasi Hanenda in collaboration with the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Surakarta, aims to enhance narrative literacy, creativity, and inclusive participation of people with disabilities within the filmmaking ecosystem. The program was implemented through a community-based empowerment approach that positioned participants as active subjects using methods such as discussion, hands-on practice, and production. The activity involved 11 participants from 10 special-needs schools (SLB) in Yogyakarta, supported by 12 accompanying teachers who served as adaptive facilitators. The training materials covered ideation, premise development, character building, and the writing of simple scripts, all adjusted to the needs of deaf, blind, and intellectually disabled participants. The outcomes demonstrate improvements in the participants’ scriptwriting skills, self-confidence, and creative expression. The four scripts produced reflect human values, inclusion, and the participants’ lived experiences. This program not only strengthens individual capacities but also fosters a collaborative space that promotes authentic representation of disability in film. The initiative serves as an inclusive learning model that can be replicated to empower people with disabilities in the arts and cultural sector.

INTERNATIONAL EMPOWERMENT OF STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA ABOUT AGRIBUSINESS EDUCATION

2025-12-22T08:56:33+00:00

International Empowerment of Students in Malaysia have goal to introduce agribusiness and marketing education concepts to elementary-level students in Malaysia through interactive and experiential learning activities. The program focuses on enhancing students’ understanding of agricultural products, marketing processes, and entrepreneurship spirit at an early age. The activity was conducted collaboratively between the service team and local partner schools through a series of simulations in which students acted as sellers and buyers of fruits and vegetables. To make the activity more realistic and engaging, the team provided play money as a medium of transaction, enabling students to experience the process of buying, selling, and negotiating prices in a fun learning environment. In addition, the program included the development of simple and contextual learning materials, such as a student activity book and digital worksheets, aligned with the students’ level of understanding. The mentoring sessions also involved local teachers to ensure sustainability and replication of the agribusiness learning model beyond the program period. The results of the activity showed increased student engagement and comprehension of basic marketing principles, as well as enhanced teacher capacity in integrating agribusiness content into classroom learning. This empowerment initiative not only fostered students’ entrepreneurial awareness but also supported the goal of global education collaboration through agribusiness knowledge sharing. The program contributed to building a foundation for sustainable education practices that align with the spirit of international cooperation and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in quality education and economic growth.

INNOVATION OF SEA FISH PUDDING AS A SOLUTION TO PREVENT STUNTING AND A NUTRITIOUS FOOD IN PANGGUNGREJO VILLAGE PASURUAN CITY

2026-04-21T12:53:47+00:00

This community service program was initiated in response to the limited variety and low nutritional quality of children’s snacks in the coastal area of Panggungrejo, Pasuruan. Many available snacks are inexpensive but lack essential nutrients needed for children’s growth and development. Therefore, this activity focuses on improving community awareness of nutrition by utilizing abundant local natural resources, especially sea fish, as the main ingredient for innovative food products. Sea fish was processed into fish pudding, a unique, nutritious, affordable, and child-friendly snack alternative. The implementation method included counseling sessions, interactive discussions, and hands-on assistance in product preparation. Participants were introduced to the nutritional benefits of fish and practical techniques for transforming it into attractive snacks with better market value. Through this program, the community is expected to gain new skills and knowledge in food processing, improve family nutrition, and develop creative business opportunities based on local marine resources, thereby supporting household income and coastal economic empowerment.

REVITALIZATION OF VILLAGE CHICKEN FARMING MSMES: PRODUCTION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP INNOVATION TOWARDS INTEGRATED VILLAGE AGRIBUSINESS

2026-04-29T14:32:46+00:00

Mbangkong Village is predominantly inhabited by young people, accounting for 58% of the total population. Most of the youth in this village, especially women, do not pursue higher education and tend to marry at an early age. This socio-demographic condition has limited the community's livelihood choices, which are primarily concentrated in agriculture, animal husbandry, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). One of the MSMEs that partnered in this community engagement program is a free-range native chicken farming business that generates monthly revenue of IDR 8–10 million. Although market demand for native chicken continues to grow, the business faces a 35% supply gap that has yet to be addressed. The partner MSME faces several core challenges, including: (1) inadequate security of the farm area due to the absence of proper fencing, making it vulnerable to external threats; (2) limited managerial capacity in business planning, management, and evaluation, which are still carried out using traditional methods; and (3) lack of product diversification, with income solely dependent on the sale of live chickens and eggs, without any value-added products. This community engagement program aims to provide comprehensive solutions through three main approaches: (1) improving production capacity by building or repairing chicken coops and securing the farm area to make it safer and more productive; (2) providing entrepreneurship management training for MSME actors and local business communities in Mbangkong Village to enhance their business sustainability skills; and (3) developing derivative products from native chicken to increase added value and expand market reach. The expected outcomes of this program include: (1) improved farm safety and productivity through physical infrastructure enhancement; (2) strengthened managerial knowledge and skills of the MSME partner through entrepreneurship training; and (3) increased business income through product diversification and market development. Ultimately, this program is expected to strengthen the MSME partners' economic resilience and promote sustainable local economic growth.

INTEGRATION OF PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR OPTIMIZING GLOBAL MARKET PENETRATION IN BIG BEE FARM AGRITOURISM, THAILAND

2026-05-09T14:05:38+00:00

This study examines how the integration of persuasive communication and artificial intelligence (AI) in digital marketing can enhance the competitiveness of honey‑based agritourism micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), using Big Bee Farm in Thailand as a community‑service case. While previous work highlights the potential of AI‑driven marketing, few studies explicitly address how suggestive, story‑based communication strategies and human–technology collaboration shape MSME competitiveness in agritourism contexts, leaving a notable gap between technological adoption and strategic communication design. This study aimed to design and implement an integrated community‑service program that combined suggestive‑communication training, AI‑based digital marketing tools, and participatory mentoring to strengthen marketing capacity and global competitiveness. The activity employed a participatory, experiential‑learning design, involving farm managers, marketing staff, and tour guides, and applied qualitative and descriptive‑quantitative methods, including needs assessment, training modules, hands‑on AI workshops, mentoring, and pre‑post evaluations. The findings showed that participants improved their ability to craft persuasive, emotionally engaging messages, adopted AI tools for content generation, chatbot support, and market analysis, shifted from conventional to integrated, data‑driven promotion, and reported higher tourist engagement and sales potential. Theoretically, these results support a human‑centric perspective on digital transformation, where AI functions as an augmenting resource when aligned with strategic communication. Practically, the study provides a replicable model for community‑service programs seeking to strengthen MSME competitiveness through a holistic integration of technology, communication, and collaboration.

INCREASING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF WET CAKE SMEs THROUGH PRODUCT DIVERSIFICATION AND PACKAGING RE-BRANDING IN PANDANSARI VILLAGE

2026-05-10T14:40:59+00:00

The micro-scale culinary sector in Pandansari Village, Bogor Regency, has promising economic potential. However, nine small and medium-sized cake-making small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in this region are experiencing stagnation due to a lack of product innovation, both in terms of flavor variants, shapes, and conventional packaging. This condition reduces product competitiveness and hinders penetration into modern markets and the digital marketing ecosystem. This Community Service (PKM) activity aims to increase the capacity of SME partners in diversifying products andre-brandingpackaging to increase added value (perceived value) and product competitiveness. The approach used isParticipatory Action Research (PAR) which includes the observation stage, education (product management training), production assistance (prototyping), and evaluation. This activity resulted in a significant increase in partners' understanding of the strategy.line fillingand packaging. Practically, 100% of partners succeeded in creating innovative new flavor variants (matcha, premium cheese, red velvet) and modify the shape of the cake intobite-size. In addition, partners have successfully implemented packagingfood gradevariouswindow boxcomplete with informative labeling as brand identity (brandingProduct diversification and packaging standardization interventions have proven effective in transforming SME products into high-value products that meet aesthetic and hygiene standards to compete in modern retail and marketing markets.online.

SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE WRITING ASSISTANCE AND PUBLICATION OF COMMUNITY SERVICE RESULTS: DISSEMINATION STAGE AND ACADEMIC REPUTATION

2026-05-21T04:37:19+00:00

Community Service (PkM) activities frequently produce practical innovations and community empowerment outcomes; however, many results remain undocumented in scientific publications. Limited understanding of academic writing structures, publication procedures, and journal selection contributes to the low dissemination of PkM outputs. This community engagement program aimed to enhance participants' competencies in scientific article preparation and publication strategies to support broader dissemination and academic reputation development. The program employed a participatory training and mentoring approach involving workshops, guided writing sessions, manuscript reviews, and publication consultations. Activities were conducted through stages including needs assessment, training implementation, article development assistance, and evaluation. Participants consisted of lecturers and community service practitioners involved in institutional PkM programs. Results demonstrated increased participant understanding regarding article structure, journal standards, referencing techniques, and publication processes. Participants showed significant improvement in transforming PkM reports into publishable manuscripts. The mentoring process also enhanced participants' confidence and readiness to submit manuscripts to accredited journals. This initiative contributed not only to improved scholarly productivity but also to strengthening institutional academic visibility and dissemination practices.

ASEAN WOMENPRENEURS CONNECT: AI-POWERED MICROBUSINESS COLLABORATION NETWORK

2026-05-21T04:37:16+00:00

Women's economic empowerment through micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) constitutes a cornerstone of inclusive growth in the ASEAN region, yet persistent structural barriers such as limited digital literacy, technology access, and cross-border networks hinder women entrepreneurs' participation in the digital economy. While prior initiatives emphasize isolated AI applications or networking, a notable research gap exists in structured models integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with collaborative frameworks to foster sustainable microbusiness ecosystems. This community service study addressed this gap by implementing the ASEAN Womenpreneurs Connect: AI-Powered Microbusiness Collaboration Network at Big Bee Farm, aiming to enhance women micro-entrepreneurs' capacities via technology-driven empowerment and regional collaboration. Employing a Participatory Action Research (PAR) design, the program purposively sampled ASEAN women micro-entrepreneurs facing digital constraints and unfolded through four phases: needs assessment, AI training (e.g., chatbots, content generators), cross-border workshops, and digital network simulations. Data from pre/post-tests, observations, and semi-structured interviews underwent descriptive statistical and thematic analyses. Findings revealed significant gains in digital literacy and AI proficiency for marketing and decision-making, alongside nascent cross-border business networks that spurred product innovation and market expansion; barriers included infrastructure limitations and psychosocial factors. These results imply that integrated AI-collaboration models advance digital entrepreneurship theory and offer practical, replicable tools for women's economic empowerment, informing policy for scalable ASEAN ecosystems.

EMPOWERMENT OF FINANCIAL LITERACY AND ACCOUNTING DIGITALIZATION FOR TRADITIONAL MARKET TRADERS ASSOCIATIONS AT DAMNOEN SADUAK FLOATING MARKET, THAILAND

2026-05-24T04:49:46+00:00

This community service program aims to enhance financial literacy and promote accounting digitalization among traditional market traders at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Thailand. The program was designed to address key challenges faced by traders, including limited financial knowledge, lack of proper financial record-keeping, and low adoption of digital tools. A participatory and capacity-building approach was employed, consisting of needs assessment, training, mentoring, and evaluation using a pre-test and post-test design. The results show a significant improvement in participants’ financial literacy, as well as their ability to prepare simple financial statements and manage business finances more effectively. In addition, the adoption of digital accounting tools increased substantially, indicating a positive shift toward digital transformation. These findings demonstrate that structured community service interventions can effectively empower small-scale traders, improve their financial management practices, and enhance their competitiveness in the digital economy. However, continuous assistance and follow-up programs are necessary to ensure sustainability and long-term impact.

EMPOWERMENT OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND UTILIZATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO SUPPORT GLOBAL MARKET PENETRATION AT BIG BEE FARM AGRITOURISM, THAILAND

2026-05-24T04:50:17+00:00

This Community Service Program (PkM) aims to empower financial management practices and optimize the utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support global market penetration at Big Bee Farm Agritourism, Thailand. The program addresses key challenges such as weak financial governance, limited digital literacy, and low adoption of advanced technologies that hinder the competitiveness of agritourism enterprises in the global market. A participatory approach was applied through field observation, training, mentoring, and evaluation involving management and staff of the agritourism business. The implementation of the program focused on strengthening financial management capacity, enhancing digital literacy, and introducing AI-based tools for business operations, marketing, and customer engagement. The results indicate significant improvements in financial recording systems, budgeting awareness, and financial transparency. In addition, participants demonstrated increased understanding and initial application of digital technologies and AI in supporting business activities, particularly in marketing and data utilization. Furthermore, the program contributed to expanding the business’s global market orientation through improved digital promotion strategies and enhanced readiness for international competitiveness. Although AI integration is still in the early stage, the initiative successfully initiated a transformative shift toward technology-driven agritourism management. Overall, the program demonstrates that the integration of financial empowerment and digital innovation plays a crucial role in strengthening the sustainability and global competitiveness of agritourism enterprises.

STRENGTHENING FINANCIAL GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTING-BASED BUSINESS STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF TRADITIONAL MARKET TRADERS IN SUBANG JAYA (SS15)

2026-05-24T04:50:20+00:00

This community service program aimed to strengthen financial governance and accounting-based business strategies to enhance the competitiveness of traditional market traders in Subang Jaya (SS15), Malaysia. The program adopted a participatory and empowerment-based approach involving 25 traditional market traders from various small-scale business sectors. The implementation consisted of several stages, including needs assessment, training, mentoring, and evaluation. Data were collected using quantitative and qualitative methods through questionnaires, interviews, observations, and documentation. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated using pre-test and post-test analysis combined with thematic analysis. The results indicate significant improvements in financial governance, accounting practices, and strategic business capabilities among participants. Prior to the program, most traders demonstrated weak financial governance, including the absence of budgeting and poor separation between personal and business finances. After the intervention, the proportion of participants categorized as having good financial governance increased from 16% to 56%. In terms of accounting practices, participants showed substantial progress in recording transactions and preparing simple financial reports, with full implementation increasing from 16% to 60%. Furthermore, the ability of traders to formulate accounting-based business strategies improved significantly, as reflected in the increase of participants with high strategic capability from 16% to 52%.

STRENGTHENING GREEN ACCOUNTING LITERACY FOR THE INDONESIAN MIGRANT WORKERS ASSOCIATION IN PETALING JAYA, SELANGOR, MALAYSIA TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE WORK PRACTICES

2026-05-24T04:50:44+00:00

This community service program aimed to strengthen green accounting literacy among members of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Association in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, in order to promote sustainable work practices and improve financial accountability. The program was designed to address the limited understanding of environmentally oriented accounting practices among migrant workers, particularly in relation to financial management, resource efficiency, and sustainable economic behavior. The implementation method consisted of training sessions, mentoring activities, interactive discussions, and practical simulations related to green accounting principles, simple financial recording, budgeting, and sustainable workplace practices. Participants were introduced to the importance of integrating environmental awareness into financial decision-making and daily economic activities. The results of the program indicate significant improvements in participants’ understanding and application of green accounting concepts. First, the program successfully strengthened participants’ awareness of sustainable financial governance, reflected in better budgeting practices, improved financial discipline, and increased understanding of environmentally responsible economic behavior. Second, participants demonstrated improved ability to implement accounting-based practices through systematic transaction recording and the preparation of simple financial reports that considered resource efficiency and sustainability aspects. Third, the program contributed to the enhancement of participants’ work competitiveness and adaptability by encouraging the use of financial information for planning, cost control, and sustainable decision-making. Overall, the program proved effective in increasing green accounting literacy and fostering sustainable work practices among Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia.

DIGITAL LITERACY TRAINING FOR MSMES IN SERANG CITY TO IMPROVE SOCIAL MEDIA-BASED MARKETING

2026-05-24T04:50:50+00:00

This community service activity aims to improve the digital literacy skills of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Serang City through social media-based marketing training. The activity was carried out in December 2025 using participatory training methods and direct mentoring. The activity stages included preparation, training, practice, mentoring, monitoring, and evaluation. The training materials covered digital literacy, digital marketing strategies, social media management, promotional content creation, and the use of business features on digital platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp Business. The results of the activity showed an increase in participants' understanding and skills in utilizing social media as a marketing tool. Participants were able to create business accounts, create promotional content, and implement digital marketing strategies according to the characteristics of their respective businesses. In addition, the mentoring process helped participants implement digital marketing effectively and sustainably. This activity also increased participants' motivation and confidence in developing digital technology-based businesses. Thus, digital literacy training is an effective solution in helping MSMEs adapt to technological developments and increase business competitiveness in the digital era.

OPTIMIZING HOME-BASED BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH INDEPENDENT ENTREPRENEURIAL TALKSHOW ACTIVITIES IN MAKASSAR CITY

2026-05-24T04:51:11+00:00

This community service activity aims to improve the knowledge, skills, and motivation of the community in developing home business opportunities through independent entrepreneurship talk shows in Makassar City. The activity was carried out during January 2026 by involving members of the community who are interested in independent businesses and the development of household-based MSMEs. The activity method used a participatory educational approach through material delivery, interactive discussions, digital marketing simulations, and question and answer sessions with resource persons. The material provided included simple business management, home business opportunities, digital marketing strategies, product innovation, and entrepreneurial motivation. The results of the activity showed an increase in participants' understanding of business management and digital marketing, as well as increased community motivation in starting and developing independent businesses. In addition, participants also understood the importance of utilizing social media as a means of product promotion to increase business competitiveness. This activity has a positive impact on community economic empowerment and is one of the effective strategies in increasing the entrepreneurial skills of home-based communities in Makassar City in a sustainable manner.

AI-ASSISTED WRITING TRAINING: TRANSFORMING TEACHERS INTO PRODUCTIVE AUTHORS THROUGH OPTIMIZATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS AT SD N BANJARSARI 5

2026-05-26T15:57:22+00:00

Digital transformation in education has increased expectations for teachers’ professional competencies, yet empirical evidence on targeted interventions that enhance primary school teachers’ scholarly writing through AI remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an AI-Assisted Writing training program implemented at SD N Banjarsari 5 on teachers’ scientific writing productivity and digital literacy. A descriptive-intervention design with purposive sampling was employed; in-service primary teachers (n recorded) participated in a participatory, hands-on training covering ChatGPT, QuillBot, Grammarly, and Canva. Data were collected via pre- and post-training questionnaires, observation rubrics, structured interviews, and writing artifacts, and were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests for quantitative measures and thematic analysis for qualitative data. The results showed that participants exhibited significant improvements in self-reported writing competence and satisfaction, produced more structured draft manuscripts, and demonstrated enhanced ability to generate ideas, paraphrase academically, and apply digital tools to develop instructional media. Observational and thematic findings also identified persistent gaps in baseline digital skills and ethical awareness regarding AI use. The study contributes empirical evidence that AI-assisted writing interventions can strengthen teachers’ scholarly productivity and digital literacy, and it highlights the need for ongoing capacity-building and clear ethical guidelines to support sustainable implementation in school contexts