‘Rise with Mauri’ initiative empowers baking community

The launch brought together 20 women for a hands-on baking masterclass covering cake decoration and piping, shio pan and artisan bread. Participants also learnt about product development and standardising processes to help maintain consistency in their baked goods.

“Over the years, we realised that what our customers need from us goes far beyond what comes in a bag or a box,” said AB Mauri Malaysia general manager Linda Tan. “Today’s bakery entrepreneurs are thinking about consistency, costs, production, new consumer tastes and how to keep customers coming back.

“Our role is to understand those challenges and bring our expertise and technology into the real world of their businesses.” The programme will feature a mix of live events, creator partnerships, social media campaigns, and direct community engagement. While Ibupreneur is its first partner, further partners and initiatives are still being developed.

Ibupreneur co-founder Aida Zunaidi said many women in its network lacked access to equipment, knowledge and opportunities. “Many of them cook, bake, sew, and find ways to earn while caring for their children and managing their homes.

They are already entrepreneurs in many ways,” she said. “Our role is to help them build something sustainable from it.” Aida also believes that empowerment doesn’t happen overnight. “That’s why partnerships like this matter.

We really cannot do it alone. We need organisations that are willing not just to contribute, but to share their knowledge, especially what they already do well.”

The launch also included the donation of three chillers, with Ibupreneur helping identify entrepreneurs with the greatest operational needs. “I remember back in 2019, we wanted to buy chillers, but couldn’t find the money for it,” Aida said. “These may sound like small things, but when you are running a food business from home, every ringgit matters.”

Two donated chillers went to Nadiah Izzati Hassan, 37, who runs an eatery in Kajang, and Normazlina Noor Rahman, 41, a home-based catering entrepreneur in Kuala Lumpur. The third will be used at Ibupreneur’s central kitchen.

Nadiah, a divorced mother of two, started her business by selling food from a roadside table before moving to a food truck and eventually a shared shoplot. She became visibly emotional while accepting the donation on stage.

“I was just thinking of my kids at that time. I’m very grateful because it’s worth thousands, and even if I took out a loan to pay for it each month, I wouldn’t have enough left to grow my business,” she said.

The masterclass also gave her ideas for expanding her menu. “It was really helpful to learn directly from the chefs. I asked if the same dough could be used for other things, and now I have ideas for mini pizzas, sausage buns, coffee and pastries for my eatery,” she said.

As the sole breadwinner for her family, Normazlina cares for an ill husband and three disabled children. This equipment solved a major practical problem for her. “It’s very important for my business because otherwise I have to throw away a lot of my food,” she said.

Her 17-year-old child, who receives special-needs education, is also learning to make pastries, giving her hope that the skills she learnt at the masterclass can be put to good use. “I’m deeply touched.

It feels like we’ve been given another opportunity to improve our financial situation, so we can go on to help many more people out there,” she said. Learn more about AB Mauri Malaysia here, and check out Ibupreneur’s website.