It is a big concern, the rise of single mothers all around the world, and worryingly so in our country. The numbers are pretty high and there are no indications that it will ever go down. This is why a multinational agency introduces IMPACT, a campaign to empower female entrepreneurs to promote their journey
What is IMPACT? Before we touch on the details, let me share some realistic figures.
It is reported recently that in our country alone, there are 35,240 single mothers and that is 1.7 per cent from the total population. That is official record, heaven knows what is the actual number.
But this doesn’t mean that these mothers are deprived of livelihood and living on handouts as often that image prefigure in the mind of many. Most eke out living, at all levels and there are many success stories out there (the CEO of my current place of work is one).
The IMPACT Programme
Not to mention, there are great many organisations which are helping out women, and especially single mothers in the country with various initiatives.
One such wonderful program is called the IMPACT Mentorship program – which is designed to support female founders of new and small businesses, providing them with essential tools and strategies to thrive in the competitive social media space. This is part of the She Speaks Power Mentorship initiative by Naga DBB Tribal, a marketing communications and brand strategy company.
The She Speaks Power IMPACT Mentorship Program aims to empower participants by focusing on three key areas:
Business Development: Streamlining services and marketing to a digital-first audience, ensuring that businesses can effectively reach and engage their target markets.
Impactful Content Creation: Sharing best practices and design principles to enhance brand visibility and create compelling content that resonates with audiences.
Social Media Growth: Utilizing social media platforms for growth, teaching techniques to build a loyal online following and drive business success.
Hajar Yusof, Head of Digital Experience, emphasised the initiative’s commitment: “At She Speaks Power, we are dedicated to making a real impact in our community and providing a platform for collaboration. This program is not just lip service; it’s a tangible effort to support and uplift female entrepreneurs who need the help the most.”
Now, why would I be interested to scribble a couple of lines on the subject, instead of the usual movies, politics and harmful socks, is that the first of the mentees of She Speaks Power is none other than NMH’s editor in chief, Hasnah Abdul Rahman, the program’s first mentee.
Autism Family
A single mother, she has always cared for her four sons, two of whom are under the Autism spectrum while her 32-year-old second son has just been diagnosed with mild ADHD and General Anxiety Disorder.
Of the program, she noted that as a one-woman show, the help of this IMPACT Mentorship Program will be incredibly valuable. “I look forward to learning from experienced mentors and applying their insights to grow my business.”
Hasnah has, for 15 years, successfully helmed her own communications company but had to give it up to focus on Ziqri, one of her seriously neurodiverse sons. With her youngest son Aidel’s diagnosis of high-functioning Asperger’s, she decided that she needed to be home more often, so she moved on to provide consultancy services to boutique PR firms and corporate organisations.
Projek Impian
Additionally, she also benefits from Projek Impian, an initiative under Santapan (by Kembara kitchen, a social enterprise catering organisation specialising in providing sustainable food to disaster areas), that supports selected small F&B operators by providing the necessary support, knowledge, capital, and facilities to launch their own products in the Ready-to-Eat Meals segment for commercialisation.
Said Hasnah: “About food? Well, during the struggle, I realised that food is what is going to put food on the table, and that’s what I have been doing for the past 10 years, cooking for clients from my small home kitchen, until William, the founder of Kembara, took me by the hand and encouraged me to become a beneficiary of Projek Impian. And here we are…”
Laksa Johor
The first item to hit the shelves is the Ready-To-Eat Hasnah’s Laksa Johor, one of the most popular products from Hasnah’s home kitchen with regular clients having ordered for their celebrations and during festivals for the past 10 years. Today, they can now order the Ready-To-Eat version and after passing the lab tests, we now know that these packs can be kept for 1.5 years, thanks to the Retort machine at Kembara.
This mentorship helps women entrepreneurs effectively launch and grow their businesses. Participants will receive guidance on best practices and personalised 3-month mentorship to ensure their business success and sustainability.
Farrah Harith McPherson, Chief Growth Officer of NagaDDB Tribal, highlighted the agency’s involvement: “As experience makers, Naga DDB Tribal believes in putting our services to a greater cause. The IMPACT Mentorship Program is a perfect example of how we can leverage our expertise to empower and support women in business and celebrate women entrepreneurship.”
For more information about the She Speaks Power IMPACT Mentorship Program and how to get involved, please visit @SheSpeaksPower__ on Instagram.
Single mothers like Hasnah have been making full strides with their entrepreneurial efforts. Those who need to find out more about her Laksa Johor can check out the link. – NMH
A movie buff, as opposed to film connoisseur or aficionado, because the last two words are hard to spell, Rakesh has been in the field of writing for more than two decades and hopes that one-day movie “buff”ing is lucrative enough to afford him a Batmobile, the Michael Keaton one.
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