NOOR Harnani Buang, 37, is always looking for ways to help her family earn extra income.
The mother of four, who attended a five-day Housewives Enhancement And Reactivate Talent (HEARTS) training programme organised by the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), said she now worked as a freelance trainer in digital marketing, entrepreneurship and business.
“For mothers, who are managing their households, but still want to help their family further, I urge them not to be scared to try something new. Just follow your dreams.”
The train-the-trainer course under the programme enabled her to widen her social network while taking care of her family.
“My interests include cooking and baking. So, this festive season, I took orders for hampers and cookies from family members and close friends.
“With the supplementary income from the sale of my Raya cakes and cookies, I could buy new clothes for my children as well as my parents. It also contributed to their Raya packets.
“It gives me great satisfaction to know that I have managed to help my family in some way,” she said.
Aida Fauziah, 38, hoped to provide more for her family through the sale of Raya cookies and orders for baju kurung which she sew.
“I never thought that I would be baking and cooking for money, but times are hard and as a mother, I will do whatever I can to help my family. Although my husband makes a decent living as an electrical engineer, we can always do with a little extra cash.
“With the extra money I made these past two months, we were able to get new curtains and a sofa set for our home.”
Aida said she previously worked full-time as a project manager for a telecommunications firm. After the birth of her second child, she decided to spend more time with them instead.
“Being a full-time mum can be very challenging, but the rewards are immeasurable.”
“It’s not just about the money, but knowing that I have contributed to my family’s happiness gave me a sense of pride and joy. I can hold my head up high and know that when the going gets tough, I can pull my weight, too.”
For Sajni Dharamdass, 59, having a supplementary income allowed her to play a bigger role in providing for her family.
After attending a similar training programme as Harnani, Sajni now provides services as trainer and translator.
“It’s great being a full-time mum, but it’s also very rewarding to be able to contribute to my family. I could never have done this if working from home was not possible,” the former manager from Subang Jaya added.
Former learning and development consultant, Goh Cheoi Ling, 52, decided to supplement her family’s income not just for the money, but more importantly to contribute to society and boost her self-confidence.
“Being able to take care of my family and work at my own pace have done wonders to my self-confidence.
Today, she owns a boutique training consultancy firm where she conducts training and development work.
“This has definitely helped to contribute to my family’s income,” she said.