Single mothers in Malaysia face several vulnerabilities, such as economic instability (informal sector jobs, uncertain income) and the burden of single parenting. In response to this, the community service program "Ramadhan Gift for Single Mothers" was carried out by international students of KKM UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang in Kampung Sentosa Jaya, Paroi, Malaysia, with the following objectives: (1) to distribute essential aid to 20 registered single mothers; (2) to foster warm social-emotional interactions; and (3) to strengthen solidarity and cultural diplomacy between Indonesia and Malaysia through the Ramadhan moment. The implementation method used Participatory Action Research (PAR), involving participatory collaboration with local community leaders. Data collection was done through participatory observation, structured/semi-structured interviews, and documentation. The results showed a very positive response: the beneficiaries felt materially and psychosocially supported, while community leaders appreciated the strengthening of bilateral relations. The program successfully created an impact by improving social relations, cross-cultural empathy, and a positive image of Indonesia. For sustainability, it is recommended to transform the program into an empowerment approach (skills training, business mentoring), expand networks with local/government institutions, develop memorandums of understanding for long-term partnerships, and implement a structured monitoring-evaluation system along with cultural communication training for volunteers.
Abdurrauf et al. (Wed,) studied this question.