Michelle (eighth from left) and Rev Lai Leen (sixth from left) with participants at the Ezy Baking Workshop Community Empowerment Centre in Subang Jaya.
RESIDENTS of Subang Perdana Goodyear Court 2 in Subang Jaya, Selangor, have more reason to be happy as freshly baked cakes and biscuits will be readily available nearby.
The Ezy Baking Workshop Community Empowerment Centre opened its doors to the first batch of enterprising men and women, who are en route to becoming skilled bakers through its 13-week free baking workshops.
The centre caters to individuals from the B40 community.
Subang Jaya assemblyman Michelle Ng said at the launch, “We hope that through this, more Malaysians will have the opportunity to raise their standard of living.
“Beyond the baking workshops, this initiative provides participants with a much-needed sense of confidence and hope, where they hone the ability to push themselves further.”
The centre’s chairperson Rev Lai Leen Roberts said the Ezy Baking workshop, through its free baking classes, aimed to give hope and purpose to the B40 community.
“By imparting knowledge and skills to those interested in baking but cannot afford formal training, we hope to help improve their skills and livelihood.
“The workshops aim to open up opportunities for participants to excel, helping them gain employment or an additional income stream,” she said.
The workshop will accommodate 16 participants per cohort, starting this month.
Participants are required to commit to 50 hours of training sessions over 13 weeks.
Classes run every Friday and Saturday, from 9am to 2pm, at a ground floor unit in Goodyear Court 2.
The 83.6sq m “classroom” is equipped with baking essentials, including ovens and workbenches.
The programme will teach participants 25 recipes and key digital content marketing skills.
A new cohort is screened and added quarterly.
Cakes and bakes of graduating participants will also be sold online and on site at festive bazaars.
“There will be more workshops to equip, enable and empower the community in the near future,” said Rev Lai Leen.
The workshop is sponsored by PPB Group Bhd and Persatuan Promosi Matlamat Pembangunan Lestari (PPMPL).
The centre is an initiative by Project Hope Welfare Organisation, a non-profit set up in 2020 that seeks to bring hope to the underprivileged by offering assistance in daily essentials, crisis relief, health and safety and overall human welfare.
“Project Hope volunteers, with the support of corporate sponsors and foundations as well as food banks, have been distributing food aid to residents at Goodyear Court 2 and 30 other locations.
“Over time, our management team saw the need to equip the community to be more self-sustaining and less financially dependent, which gave rise to the Ezy Baking Workshop Community Empowerment Centre.
“We are very grateful to have had the support of benevolent individuals and organisations, and hope that this continues well into the future,” said Rev Lai Leen.
The centre welcomes sponsors for its programmes, as well as individuals and organisations willing to promote the sale of its products.
For details, call 019-205 3403 (Kris Gopal).
