KUALA LUMPUR: PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd (PNBMV) has awarded grants to seven new projects as part of Phase 2 of Cycle 2 of the Merdeka 118 Community Grants Programme.
With these additional projects, the total number of projects supported in Cycle 2 has now increased to 15.
PNBMV stated that these initiatives demonstrate the programme's commitment to supporting local communities by enhancing social, cultural, and economic resilience.
PNBMV chief executive officer Tengku Datuk Ab. Aziz Tengku Mahmud stated that the objective of the Merdeka 118 Grants Programme is to inspire local communities in the precinct to rethink their activities, improve collaboration, seize opportunities, and prosper.
"This is why we are delighted to support more projects in the second phase and are also pleased to see the first phase projects from Cycle 2 performing well," he said.
PNBMV provides a platform for Merdeka 118's grant recipients to sell their products, offering opportunities to participate in community markets at Stadium Merdeka and the annual PESZTA event, which maximises their exposure and sales potential.
PNBMV launched the Merdeka 118 Community Grants Programme in June 2021 in partnership with Think City Sdn Bhd.
The first phase of Cycle 2 has shown progress, with several projects completed and yielding positive outcomes.
For example, manekNya's Embroidery Training programme for the B40 Community has successfully trained 100 underprivileged women from the Pudu Precinct and surrounding areas.
Another project is Suburbia Office Enterprise's "Somewhere in the Kuala, a Children's Architecture Book," which has completed both production and publication and has been well-received.
PNBMV added that these two projects exemplify the success of the first phase of Cycle 2, with the remaining six projects still actively progressing.