Malaysian event organiser uses social media to help small businesses and stray animals

The Seek & Keep bazaar is among the many events that have been cancelled due to the conditional MCO. Photos: Paramjit Kaur

When the movement control order (MCO) was first implemented in March, an event organiser decided to give 'space' to homegrown entrepreneurs to continue promoting their businesses.

It did so by highlighting them on its Instagram and Facebook pages, for free. Its Instagram account has almost 15,000 followers.

And when the current conditional MCO was imposed last month, the organisation continued to do the same.

Makers & Co's co-founder Paramjit Kaur, 35, said social media was one of the most effective ways to help small, growing businesses during the MCO.

"Since many events were postponed throughout the MCO until now, we decided to do our part by promoting local businesses on our social media sites.

Makers & Co uses its Instagram as a platform to promote homegrown vendors who are badly affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Paramjit Kaur

"We made our Instagram an accessible tool for all vendors to promote their small businesses. This is our way of helping Malaysians during the Covid-19 pandemic," said Paramjit over a phone interview.

She said they had initially planned to organise its Seek And Keep Artisan Market in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur at the end of October. But that too had to be cancelled.

"While it's a loss of income for us as organisers and co-ordinators, we feel more for our micro businesses who have been relentlessly preparing, making and designing their products.

"It takes a lot of effort, money and long hours of preparation from our vendors."

Paramjit and her team have also turned to social media to collect funds for their Feed

The Strays project to care for hungry and stranded animals around Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur during the conditional MCO.

"I focus on feeding, treating, vaccinating and neutering stray cats, right until they are adopted.

"It started with feeding, but these cats that we took in were in dire need of help.

"I will be receiving 16 stray kittens soon and the funds will be used to nurture them back to health," she said.