Recently, two Malaya-based social entrepreneurs made their way to a sharing event organised by Angkatan Zaman Mansang Sarawak (AZAM Sarawak) in Kuching, Sarawak. Founder of Grow the Goose and Borneo Cocoa, Ida Faranina Othman has been an entrepreneur for 16 years, from owning and running a baking studio, event management company, supplier of corporate gifts, production house, advertising agency, photo studio to a kids party planning outfit.
Her entrepeneurial passion grew in her since her younger days. At 10 years old, she wanted a t-shirt that everyone wears. “I wanted it so my mum asked me to save up. So I sell things like recycled cans until I was able to collect enough money.” At 12, she started a cupcake business while at 15 she babysits.
Hence, after she took a break to focus on her family, she noticed a gap in the market on child empowerment programmes. It was a little experiment with her children that led her to launch ‘Grow the Goose’ — a social enterprise focusing on financial empowerment programmes for children to help them attain financial wisdom before entering adulthood.
Read more: Women with a Mission