What Makes Us Different

In the last 2 weeks, we have been visiting the participants to our Basmi Miskin Tegar (Poverty Eradication Programme) in Kota Bharu District. Previous week we visited 5 families and yesterday we visited 4 more.

The first 5 families, 2 were batik producers, 1 laid mosaic and 2 bakers. Yesterday, we visited another batik producer, a drinks seller, a tailor, and another potential baker.

The objective of this programme is to remove them from the Impoverished List by improving their income. This programme provided selected families with equipment that will assist them in generating income. The equipment can be anything.

Those that are doing well are the batik producers, the mosaic layer, the drinks seller and one of the bakers. The ones not doing great are the tailor and the 2 bakers. The objective of the visit was to see how they were doing and what else that can be done to improve their income and activities.

Before I tell what was wrong, let's tell what went right. Talking to all of them, I surmised that it is all about attitude. How one carries on living. For example, the drink seller. He sells drinks at areas with a crowd and is doing quite well. He sells in the morning. In the afternoon he will take jobs to design and colour batik prints. Baker 1, husband and wife grabbed the opportunities given. Not only that they started selling their products in shops and schools, but they also even developed a colourful icy dessert that is so popular, with that alone they are making almost RM200 per day.

The first batik producer they have secured daily orders, they have split the tasks between etchings and colouring. They have even employed an assistant for their business. The mosaic layer has contracted with a contractor to lay mosaics as and when required. Overall, they are in better shape than they were a few months ago.

Let's now talk about the not-so-great news. Baker 2, they started a business but hope for people to come to their home. They have not promoted their business and in such an obscure location very little income can be generated. They too are not interested to venture further than their home. The other is a potential tailor, which grabbed all the equipment offered and just did nothing. We will be taking away the equipment now. She is in a more comfortable situation as the husband lately as a contractor is doing quite well. But still, no interest to generate additional income.

Baker 3 has a lot of potential but not much of knowledge and opportunities. Attitude is quite good so we gave her as much advice as possible. We will be visiting her again in a month. Her desserts was quite good, fairly tasty.

Yesterday I went to visit to another site. It is towards the South of Kelantan in Gua Musang. They are our indigenous people, what we call as Orang asli (Original People). They were to begin earlier but multiple issues plagued its implementation. But it is finally happening. They look interested and eager but support by the individuals from organisations and institutions that matter found wanting. Sad that we need to push and cajole these people responsible but that's the state of affairs with some individuals. Not a reflective of the organisation itself but they make poor ambassadors. We are here to help people, yet they are not even there.

Through their own initiative, my team tries to be on site as much as possible even though the working conditions is not comfortable. They can choose to sit in an airconditioned office but no they are not. They are out there in the heat with one of them even expecting. I am proud of these ladies. I wish I am out there more often, but it takes over 3 hours to get there from Kota Bharu. I hope my visit there yesterday will make a difference.

Now the projects are now back on track with some minor tweaking. I advised and guided the teams there as best as I can to ensure success. I remain hopeful.

I am quite tired but happy that I have managed to do my small part to make a difference in their lives. I hope that the one that are doing well will be even better, those that are not will improve and for the Orang Asli to generate substantial income in months to come.

And that is the difference attitude and perseverance.