Yaya's 'kuih bakul' making inroads abroad

KUALA TERENGGANU: Ever since Bernama news on Haziqah Nurul Huda Harun's 'kuih bakul' ('nian gaow' or sticky rice cake) went viral over social media, business has increased double fold with the lass delivering an impressive 10,000 orders a week to as far as Russia.
The 20-year-old wheelchair bound entrepreneur and her kuih bakul were an instant hit locally and internationally after the halal-certified product was found unique.
"I cannot thank Bernama enough for being the first to highlight on my effort which had contributed to my business growth.
"When I first watched the news over BNC channel and read it in mainstream print media, I was so overwhelmed that it moved me to tears," she said when contacted by Bernama today.
According to Yaya, as she is fondly called, after news on her kuih bakul business went viral, orders increased to 10,000 a week compared to 2,000 a month previously.
Following the increase in demand, Yaya who had been preparing the cakes manually to ensure quality and taste, was forced to summon family members to help cope with her customers' requests.
Yaya was also pleased that news of her humble kuih bakul had also spread to Russia, Kuwait, India, Singapore, China, Brunei and Australia.
"I just received an order for 100 pieces from a customer in Kuwait, 400 pieces from Russia and another 200 from India.
"Though the amount is not big, to a small entrepreneur like me this is very encouraging because it is a great achievement," she said.
Not to disappoint her customers, Yaya said she had to refuse orders when she felt she would not be able to deliver.
In fact for now she has stopped taking orders until March 15.
News and video on this fiesty entrepreneur which was aired by Bernama last Jan 25 had garnered close to one million views and over 10,000 shares over social media.
Following her popularity and remarkable effort despite her disability, Yaya recently received five offers of assistance from government agencies including Terengganu Entrepreneur Development Foundation, State Agriculture Department and Mara Terengganu.
The offers included printing of product stickers, loan for purchase of equipment, set up of a processing workshop and support in product development.
She said she would consider all the offers including others from private companies, according to needs.
Currently she said, her priority was a comfortable kitchen area conducive for her condition in a wheelchair.
Yaya the fourth of five siblings became paralysed after a high fever four years ago.
All this while Yaya had been operating from her parents' kitchen in Kampung Bukit Kuang, Kemaman.
The process to prepare a 70-kg dough mixture takes four hours. After which the mixture is poured into moulds and steamed for 12 to 15 hours depending on the size.
The kuih bakul are then left to cool for a day before they are packed.
According to Yaya who acquired the skill to make kuih bakul from a Facebook friend in Beijing, the delicacy packed in airtight containers would usually be couriered to her customers. — Bernama