"People can change their own lives, provided they have the right kind of institutional support.  They are not asking for charity, charity is no solution to poverty." ~ Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muahammad Yunus

In August 2007, Hong Leong Foundation set out to establish the 'Small Enterprise Programme', a programme designed to give the less fortunate in the community the opportunity to be self sufficient. 

Over the short term, those given seed money to start small scale businesses at home or at the charities will be able to generate enough income to provide for their own families' needs.  Over time, and with proper management and guidance, these businesses will grow and, in turn, be able to help others in the community.

"By expanding our contribution to the community to include this new category, we believe we will be truly helping people learn to be self-sufficient. We hope that by working with charities on programs designed to help the underprivileged set up their own businesses, we will be able to teach people how to stand on their own two feet, eventually breaking the cycle of poverty," said Ms Quek Sue Yian, director of the Hong Leong Foundation.

A little over one year since the Programme's inception, over RM200,000 has been given out as seed money.  Participants thus far have been given between RM1,000 to RM5,000 each to start their own businesses.  For instance, at Rumah Nur Salam where the programme was piloted, ten single mothers from the Chow Kit area given the seed money established businesses like food catering, selling of skin care products, accessories and others.  The "repayment" scheme came in the form of work hours spent by the ladies at the Yayasan Salam’s centre with each hour spent equivalent to RM20.

Recently, the Foundation set up sales bazaars for the programme's participants giving them new venues to market their homemade products.  Early in January, the usually quiet lobby of Wisma Hong Leong was abuzz with happy shoppers.  A special once-off bazaar was held at building and staff swarmed the tables in search for special buys.  On sale were sugary delights like cookies, cakes, apple pies as well as gift ideas of handicrafts, greeting cards and accessories from the single mothers of Rumah Nur Salam, members of United Voice who are from the disabled community, the mothers from Rose Virginie Good Shepherd Centre Ipoh, the special children of Persatuan Kanak Kanak Istimewa Kajang, Selangor and the Malaysian Aids Council.   

A month later, a sales stint at the high traffic One Utama mall was secured to give the charities a chance to have presence in the mall.  Called the Community Corner, it is one of One Utama's CSR efforts.  The Community Corner is located on Level One of the new wing and for this purpose, One Utama gave the Corner's use for free to the Hong Leong Foundation partner charities.  Rose Virginie Good Shepherd Centre and United Voice took turns at the Corner.  The total sales generated from both locations: a staggering RM20,371.00, surpassing all expectations.

The program has since been extended to the other charity organizations like the Malaysian Aids Council for their car wash business; Rose Virginie Good Shepherd Centre, Ipoh for their bakery and catering business; Shelter Home for Children for their Single Mothers' Project; United Voice for their Employment Training Program and Persatuan Kanak-kanak Istimewa Kajang, Selangor for their nursery business.

Indeed, the response from the community has been very encouraging.  The Foundation's efforts were recently recognized by the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) as a prime example of providing business opportunities for social gain.  At the recognition, the single mothers from Rumah Nur Salam were on hand to witness the accolade.  GEW is sponsored by NYSE Euronext, Earnst & Young, IBM and Kaufmann Foundation. 

"We hope that in the future, we can expand this project to more beneficiaries and to pull it tighter operationally - so that all our current partner-organisations and beneficiaries can all work together to a point where we can set up universal training, access to markets and be a large extended family where all members under the Hong Leong Foundation Small Enterprise Program are able to lean on each other, discuss ideas with one another, swap best practices, and support each other."

Editor's Note:  The Malaysia Aids Council will soon be replacing their car wash business with a fish farm and watch sales businesses.