The world of Tzu Chi August 2020 (Vol.125)

2020 • 08 16 eature March. Initially, she took the situation in her stride and indulged in serial dramas at home. She only started to panic when the MCO was extended multiple times. “The rent for the office still had to be paid, but I’ve lost my source of income. We don’t know when the situation will improve either. How should I secure the funding to repay my loans after six months? Fortunately, my husband’s job was unaffected, so he’s paying for our household expenses and the school fees for our two children who are studying at independent Chinese schools,” she professed. She became worried about her career prospects and began scouring through recruitment advertisements in the newspapers. Yet, she realized that she lacked the confidence to venture into new fields of work after more than 20 years in the travel industry and was intimidated by the challenge. During the initial phase of the MCO, a friend from the travel sector invited her to rent a stall at a food court to sell food, but she had reservations about the offer and declined. “Looking back, what did I have to fear? I was actually held back by my own insecurities and uncertainty over the unknown. Nothing fruitful comes from all talk but no action. I recalled the coffeeshop my family ran; I was raised in the food business, so I thought embarking on a food delivery venture shouldn’t be too difficult! After discussing with my mother and sister, we decided to ply the trade of delivering homecooked meals,” she shared. Kar Ling derived the confidence and courage to take the leap from her recollections of the encouraging reviews of the food she had prepared for volunteer gatherings. She circulated news of her food delivery venture among her social circle and through social media. Soon word spread and the volunteers in her community responded warmly to the idea. She was delighted to be able to promote vegetarianism to the wider public through her venture, while earning an income at the same time. After conducting some market research, Kar Ling priced her Mee Jawa and asam laksa at an affordable RM6.00 and RM6.50 per serving respectively. She would deliver meals toKlang, Puchong, Subang Jaya, PutraHeights, Kota Kemuning and other areas on selected dates. The delivery charges for customers in Klang are waived with a minimum order of two meals, while customers in other areas are also entitled to free delivery with a minimum order of four meals; a flat delivery charge of RM3.00 applies otherwise. “I know there are other delivery service providers who charge higher rates, but the goal of my venture is not merely for profit. I’m willing to commit to this to encourage vegetarianism. Making vegetarian meals appealing to the public is a way of promoting vegetarianism on behalf of Master Cheng Yen!” she mused. Kar Ling admitted that she only managed to reap one-third of her previous income at the travel agency through her food delivery venture, even with her family’s assistance. Nevertheless, she stayed true to her principle of giving back to society by donating 50 sen from each meal sold to Tzu Chi for a charitable cause. Persisting for a meaningful cause Saw Keok was supportive of her