21 minutes
WOMEN’S chatter and children’s laughter mixed with the aroma of freshly-baked cookies and cakes epitomises a typical day at the home of former lawyer Siti Nor Affiza Baharuddin.
This is where mothers not only learn a new skill but also find sanctuary from abusive relationships and broken marriages.
Siti Nor Affiza, fondly known as Nora to her charges, is also a pillar of strength for these women, who initially would not even dare step out of their homes.
But she has given them a new sense of purpose through her home-based bakery in Seremban. She teaches them basic baking skills in her living room which she converted into a kitchen, and personally deals with the business of selling the delicacies. The proceeds are then shared among the participants.
In a recent interview with theSun, Nora recalled the day when she decided to dedicate her life to helping the underprivileged and marginalised.
In 2010, Nora started a nutrition programme at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Mambau for poor students after seeing firsthand the unfortunate condition they were in. Witnessing the poverty cycle proved a painful experience for Nora.
“The children were malnourished and they were drinking tap water to satiate their hunger pangs,” she recalled.
“They were so small and scrawny.”
Nora’s priority was to equip the underprivileged and marginalised with skills.
She began with a social enterprise that she named “The Parlour” and subsequently began to coax single mothers living in the villages around Seremban to participate in her enterprise.
“It was not easy. They’re all from the kampung, and they would not even leave their homes. They were so scared. They had no money, no mode of transport, and there were children to feed,” she said.
But Nora would pick them up from their homes so they could attend the training sessions in her living room. Soon, the women also brought their children along.
“While the children played, the women would be busy chatting away as they worked on kneading the dough and baking the cookies and cakes,” she recalled.
Her living room soon became a safe place for these women to talk abou their problems and Nora became their mentor.
To make sure there were returns for their effort, Nora began to market the delicacies to corporations.
“It became a hit, especially during festivals,” she said.
Through word of mouth and information available on its website, corporations soon became aware of The Parlour and its delicacies. AmInvest, a fund management company, once placed an order for RM22,000 worth of hampers comprising cakes and cookies. After that, there was no looking back. The business did so well that in 2014, Nora decided to open a cafe.
Gradually her pioneer participants, the single mothers, having gained sufficient skills and greater confidence, began to move on, making way for new participants.
One of them is Siti Nadia Mustapha, 25, who quit her job as a nurse after suffering a miscarriage while she was filing for divorce.
Nora has now become Nadia’s confidante. Apart from acquiring baking skills, Nadia also learned how to deal with customers, which prompted Nora to leave the cafe business entirely in her charge.
The cafe has since closed down but Nadia took it as a sign to move on to other challenges.
She has now taken on the role of mentor to other students. Her objective now, she said, is to change people’s lives, “one cake at a time”.
