KUALA LUMPUR: Kao Malaysia believes that its initiative, now in its third collaboration to empower mothers and women from underprivileged communities, has successfully increased their motivation to become self-reliant and build stronger self-identity to achieve greater success in the future.
The initiative, based on the ‘Kire’ philosophy (Japanese for cleanliness and beauty), has enabled Kao to fulfil its aim of giving back to the community while creating a positive impact on Ibupreneur members.
Assistant Vice President of Human Capital Development at Kao Malaysia, Jessie Khong, said that through the Laurier Cares campaign and Magiclean’s focus on cleanliness, the programme has helped financially dependent mothers by providing them with skills, support, and confidence to become independent, especially during Ramadan and Hari Raya.
“This programme is not just about temporary aid, but focuses on long-term development through economic support, skills training, and overall well-being.
“Among the activities carried out were assisting mothers in producing festive cookies together with Kao volunteers to help increase their income.
“They were also trained to create product catalogues using artificial intelligence (AI) and Canva, as well as produce content on TikTok to promote their businesses,” she said.
She said this during a press conference after the Kao x Ibupreneur Raya Open House 2026 themed “Sharing Love, Spreading Hope” held at the Ibupreneur headquarters in TTDI recently.
Also present was Ibupreneur founder, Aida Zunaidi.
Ibupreneur is an organisation aimed at empowering mothers and women from underprivileged backgrounds, including housewives and single mothers, to become successful micro-entrepreneurs.
One of its main focuses is to help its more than 600 members nationwide achieve financial independence and success in business.
Ibupreneur also helps refine their existing talents to venture into business and provides a comprehensive platform covering education, training, and marketing to ensure their businesses remain competitive.
In addition, for mothers affected by previous floods, extra assistance was also provided, including house cleaning services, daily necessities, and cash vouchers.
Overall, Kao Malaysia contributed goods worth approximately RM30,000 to 50 recipients.
