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“I just started the business with one foot in to see if it was going to be workable, and it has been really good! People have been buying and supporting the business,” she said, bubbling with excitement as she fried a vegetable dish for her children’s lunch.
To her surprise and gratitude, customers and neighbors started to spread the word about her home-cooked food among their own circles, and eventually more people started ordering meals from her.
A few customers were so keen on helping Deviga and her family that they started advertising her menus in several personal Facebook groups, just to get the word out. Several loyal returning customers frequently order their lunch or dinner.
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Her husband, who works as an e-hailing driver with Grab, lends a hand with deliveries and purchasing ingredients.
The blue-walled living room in her home was far from tranquil when FMT came to visit.
Her two younger children were busy with online classes, the voices of their teachers emanating from two separate devices. Her 11-year-old son sat on the living room floor, slouched over a tiny table with his eyes glued to a smartphone while her daughter, 10, attended lessons at the dining table on her mother’s laptop.
Deviga’s eldest, 14, joins online classes from his own room. The three children sit in different parts of the house to get better internet connection, she explained.
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“In the mornings they will have their online classes, so I don’t disturb them. Whatever I need to cut, blend or prepare I do it the night before, put it in the fridge and then cook the next day.
“I just have to spend up to three hours cooking, then my husband will help with the packing and handle the deliveries. Then my children will usually help clean up in the kitchen after their classes are over,” she said, glancing over at the two younger ones from time to time.
It was a far cry from the days in May when she had agreed to a voluntary separation scheme with her previous employer. Hearing about the rising number of daily Covid-19 infections Deviga was sure a lockdown was imminent.
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Her fears were confirmed when the lockdown was announced just three days before her last day of work as an executive administrator.
But there was no turning back. She was out of a permanent job for the first time in eight years.
Her husband had been content with being an e-hailing driver for Grab since 2018 as it gave him some flexibility while he tried to look for permanent employment. It had been a struggle, made worse with the lockdown, when his earnings of several hundred a day plummeted.
Deviga started to fret over her family’s survival. With her three children still in school, Deviga wanted to ensure they could get the education they needed, and that meant purchasing the devices and tools they needed to do well even with online classes.
She had considered going back to work in a lower-paying job. “But my eldest son told me that I was talented in cooking and encouraged me to venture on my own business,” she said.
It turned out that this home-cooking business was much better for Deviga compared to her previous job, as it gave her the freedom to manage her hours and spend more time with her children – a big bonus after living on the go for the past eight years.
Her daily routine with her previous job called for a 5.30am start, to prepare the children for school before heading to work. After a full day’s work, she would join the rush-hour traffic to head home and prepare dinner for the family.
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“It was like non-stop. Sometimes we work five days a week, but as a working mom I worked for seven days a week,” she quipped. “But now things are more flexible and I can get my rest. There’s more freedom and less stress and pressure. And as a mother, time with my kids is very important.”
After calculating the family’s accounts for the month, she found that she had already earned some RM2,000 just two weeks into the business. While still a little short for their necessary expenditures, she was confident that business would pick up.
“I think I will continue to do this for a while. In the middle of last week, I was actually a bit confused about what to do next. I had applied with Socso for a job, and they later messaged me asking if I was still interested.
“So I was thinking whether I should go for the job or continue doing this. But for the time being, I think I will continue with this cooking business because my children need me,” she said.
Deviga hopes to eventually open a stall in a food court somewhere nearby and sell her food there, adding that her family was in full support. For now, her compact yet tidy kitchen at home will have to do.
“My eldest son wants to study business after school, so I said okay, I will open the stall then maybe you can turn it into a restaurant,” she said with a laugh. “I’m just so lucky and thankful to have my children and husband, they’ve been so helpful.”
Those who would like to support Deviga and her family may contact her at 012-6327432 to place your orders.
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