Social Mission

Buy For Social Impact

Primus Wellness is probably the country’s only social enterprise that launched its natural herbal products and micro entrepreneurship programme to create employment and income generating activities during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.

Our Social Mission involves

Pasar Pintu Project
About the Program
Micro-Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur

CALLING INDIAN RESIDENTS OF PPR JINJANG UTARA!!

Here is a way for you to make additional money! Get trained and be an entrepreneur.
Trainings will be conducted in Tamil.
All you need to do is sell fruits and vegetables to your neighbours.

Register by scanning the QR Code on the poster!

Pasar Pintu literally means ‘market at your doorstep’. This concept was derived from the traditional way of doing business when there was a time traders used to come to our doorsteps to sell their products. This is a one-year project (March 2023 to February 2024).

This project which is aimed to reach out to the financially vulnerable in particular women and youth from the B40 category is being carried out at PPR Batu Muda, PA Desa Rejang and Flat Desa Mentari. Selected individuals will sell fruits and vegetables to their community within their vicinity. Weekly, two to three fruits or vegetables are brought to them to be sold by them at an affordable price within 3 days. The profits of the sale will be kept by them.

There are 3 phases in this project. Phase 1 is the selection phase. Individuals are interviewed and vetted before getting selected for the project. Criteria for the project is the individual must be from the B40 category and is currently jobless. The main target groups are women and youths.

Phase 2 of the project is main phase, Entrepreneur Skills Training. 9 weeks of training is given to the participants on how to run a business with the hope that these individuals will venture into their own business and become financially independent.

While the trainings were going on, medical camps were also organised at all 3 locations for the community at the area.
Phase 3 of the project is the income generation phase. This is where the fruits and vegetables are delivered to the 3 locations to be sold. This is scheduled to begin in September 2023.

The aims of the project are to:

Create awareness and encourage healthy eating by bringing fruits and vegetable at an affordable price to the urban poor.
Empower the urban poor through income generation.
Forge unity and togetherness among the multiracial community.

This project is made possible with the support of Ministry of Finance and Yayasan Hasanah.

FORWARD Micro-Entrepreneurship

Our micro-entrepreneurship training program called “FORWARD” was launched in May 2020. Project FORWARD is a unique program that continuously coaches and handhold participants throughout their journey in becoming a micro-entrepreneur. 71% (173) of our micro- entrepreneurs come from Household Incomes below RM2000/month and they are mostly single mothers, urban poor, women, retirees, and students. On average, they have achieved an increase of 10-20% of their monthly income. This initiative aims to provide an income generating opportunity for the deserving low – income group and financially vulnerable, particularly to those who are affected by the pandemic. (Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) studies show Malaysia’s unemployment rate could hit the highest level in three decades as more Malaysians are likely to lose their jobs and 4.7% of unemployment rate was estimated in 2021.

The direct cash support via BSH and other sources of support is just a one-off transfer amount and may not provide the long-term financial solution to particularly vulnerable groups such as the lower- income, unemployed, part time workers, single mothers and retirees to manage the post-Covid 19 effects. Thus there is a need to provide, very specific training to this group of people so they are able to generate income and survive the crisis independently. To achieve this, Project FORWARD will not just provide training per say; but will focus on coaching and mentoring the targeted participants in pursuing their business interests. The participants will be guided on entrepreneurial, social and other related skills. One of our missions in Project FORWARD is to put our best foot forward to guide and assist all of our participants to plan and execute an income generating activity/ies even if they are not well versed in it. To give them the right tool kits, confidence, mentorship and hand holding so that they can achieve their dreams and break free from poverty with confidence that they have proper guidance and support.

We aim to build a network of successful micro entrepreneurs in our financially vulnerable and urban poor communities. Their progress will be measured periodically. The solutions may vary for each participant as they all will come in with unique issues. We will also provide them with legal services/advice or counselling if need be, especially those who are in a vicious cycle of an unhealthy environments. When we are able to assist them with issues from home and providing them with continuous social support, we are able to clear their minds and then feed them all the necessary knowledge and skills they will need to run a successful business. The ultimate vision of this initiative is to make the target group financially independent. This eventually will lead to increased social wellbeing and quality life.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Article contributed by Dr Kannan Pasamanikam (a well wisher of Primus Wellness, Myskills Foundation)

I have written about the MySkills Organisation (The STAR 19th Sept’ 2019). The organization has been striving to become self-sufficient financially and not be dependant on donors. One effort to achieving this goal was to set up a subsidiary: “Primus Wellness” about one year ago. A truly Malaysian effort. Primus Wellness in partnership with Malay and Chinese entrepreneurs produces organic health products. These are then marketed to the public by Malaysians in the B40 socioeconomic group. Through fortnightly lectures, tutorials on sales techniques, role play and troubleshooting sessions these micro entrepreneurs are trained to engage with the public and sell the products. This effort has multiple benefits: 1. A steady source of income for MySkills to run its programs 2. Enable citizens in the B40 group to develop their confidence and skills and stand on their own two feet to become self-sufficient and not be depend on handouts 3. In the long term these micro entrepreneurs could set up their own businesses.

On Wednesday June 10th 2020, my friend Mr Pasupathy, the Founder Director of MySkills Organisation sent me an inspirational message. During a meeting with a group of financially challenged ladies training to be micro-entrepreneur for Primus Wellness, he had posed this question; “What would be the one wish you will ask God if He appears in front of you”. A request for material things like money, food or a house would not have been surprising, coming especially from people who were deprived of these. However one of them Mdm Maruthayi, surprised everyone present by answering “I will ask God to give me Self Confidence”. I was humbled to learn of this and asked Pasupathy to arrange for me to meet this exceptional lady.

On Sunday 26th July 2020, over brunch I met with a group of energetic and enthusiastic people – in a world currently fraught with negativism, the meeting opened my eyes to the generosity and dogged perseverance inherent in many Malaysians and created a lot of hope and joy in my heart. Leading the group was Ms Selvamalar the vocal CEO of Primus Wellness who was brimming with ideas. Selvamalar has a brilliant academic resume – as a student she scored a CGPA of 4.0, holds a Ist class honours degree and a Masters in Human Resource Management from UPM where she also won the King’s Gold Medal for all round achievement. She then went onto to get a 1st class honours LLB degree from a UK University. Even as an undergraduate, she organized a team of brilliant undergraduates to undertake community projects in estates and schools. Though Selvamalar had a successful career in the corporate sector after graduation, she found something lacking; she than found her calling in contributing to the growth of her community, so she resigned from the Genting Group and joined MySkills. With such an intelligent and passionate person leading it, Primus Wellness can only be successful. Mr D (he requested to be anonymous) is involved in an NGO (www.pkam.org) – for several years his organization has been collecting funds to uplift impoverished communities in Malaysia; this include providing cash, clothes schoolbooks and food to. Members of this organization are led by the principles of Saint Ramalinggam (ThiruArutpragasa Vallalar) who preached equality for all and treating all beings as equal. Mr D realized that providing a means of becoming self-reliant would provide the best long term solution to these people’s woes – so he introduced them to Primus Wellness. Selvamalar also told me about Mr Ng Tet Wong, who played an important role in the evolution of Primus Wellness. Mr Ng had been interested in organic farming from his school days; his own research and personal experience taught him the benefits of consuming the fruits and leaves of the Moringa Tree earning him the moniker Mr Moringa in MySkills circles. Impressed by MySkills noble efforts to transform a marginalised group of people, Mr Ng decided to teach them how to plant, harvest and commercialise the products of the Moringa tree to enhance society’s health and in the process earn money for the organisation.

The micro-entrepreneur do not have to put up any cash; Primus Wellness provides them with the products to sell. Each micro-entrepreneur gets to keep 25% of the profits of the product. A timeline is set – those who succeed in selling their quota before the time line stand to get a bonus – thus an added impetus to succeed.

I spoke to four of the micro-entrepreneur;

Mdm Maruthayi came through as intelligent, very hardworking, and talented. She told me failure was not an option. Aged 47 years, she married at 26 and has 9 children. Her husband is a factory worker whose earnings are not enough to support the needs of her family. A wiry lady who sleeps only 3 – 4 hours every day, by self-admission she works non-stop. Maruthayi does every honest job that comes her way to provide for her family: she cleans peoples’ homes and has built a reputation for her work. She also provides post-partum care for both mothers and their newborn – she says her massaging techniques enables the infant to sleep soundly and the mother to regain her shape in record time – she earnestly believes that the God she prays to gives her the skills. She also earns some money by singing devotional songs at functions. Initially a recipient of PKAM’s generosity, she was introduced to Primus Wellness by him. Her fifth child, Sivagami, a daughter helps her in approaching the public to sell. When I asked Maruthayi about the answer she gave Mr Pasupathy, she replied that a material gift like money would have transient value, whereas a personal attribute like self-confidence would last a lifetime and enable her to succeed in life. She also prays that her efforts will raise her children’s lot in life and that they will never have to do the menial jobs she does.

Mdm. Kasthuri is 33 years old. She suffers from epilepsy. Her husband was blinded in a motor vehicle accident (hit and run). They have 4 growing children and desperately need money. She has tried the herbal products from Primus Wellness which she said has cured her of her insomnia, headaches and body aches. Her brother a milk vendor found that his joint pains improved tremendously after using the products. Armed with personal experience which she shares with her customers, Kasthuri makes her sales – being successful as a micro-entrepreneur, has enabled her confidence to grow. With his own experience, Kasthuri’s brother helps her promote her products with his own customers. In spite of her predicament, Kasturi told me that once she is successful, she would also want to participate in charitable activities – such a noble goal for someone who has major challenges of her own.

Mdm Low Bee Bee, is a single mother. Her husband abandoned her and her 2 children now aged 17 and 20. Her son scored 10As and is currently pursuing optometry at University Kebangsaan. A highly energetic person with good communication skills, Bee Bee is multilingual. To put food on the family table Bee Bee has driven Grab cars, sold organic farm products like kampong eggs and provided transportation for school children. She was introduced to Primus Wellness by Mr Tet Wong, who used to supply her with organic products to sell. Incidentally, Mr Tet Wong was instrumental in Primus Wellness producing organic herbal products – he taught them the process of making products from the Moringa oleifera tree (superfood).

Maslinda Othman is a single mother. Her husband passed on and she has a 18 year old son who will be joining a government skills training institute soon. With a monthly income of RM2000 she is hard pressed to fulfil all her family’s needs. Born in an estate in Kulim her multilingual skills include speaking Tamil. She has experienced personal benefits with Primus Wellness products and so, armed with this and good communication and networking skills (she posts on WhatsApp and other social media platforms) Maslinda has been successful in selling the herbs – a testimony to her success is the many repeat sales she has had. Maslinda’s mother Puan Lijah Sapparee is a strong motivating force encouraging her daughter never to give up.

As Mr Pasupathy put it, Primus Wellness is a truly Malaysian venture benefitting Malaysians at various levels. As micro-entrepreneur do not put cash up front, cash flow is an issue when sales are slow or delayed, so at this time donations are still needed. As Pope Francis recently said “We are all born to help each another. No matter how difficult it is, life is good when you are happy but much better when others are happy because of you”.