Arifah’s Story

Hi, my name is Arifah.

I am a mother with 4 children, 2 teenage boys and 2 girls who are in Primary school. I am working full time at a social service agency.

As a family, we will always have talk every night to check in with each other and we enjoy playing board games together.

What attracted you to the EFI program?

The program flow of EFI was very clear. EFI staff also provide support and most importantly the trust that was given to us as EFI participants.

What goals did you decide to pursue as a family with the support of EFI?

I decided on my goal to have a home based business (HBB) in future. With EFI’s support, I managed to go for baking classes to give myself a start so that I can work towards achieving my goal.

How did you go about achieving your goals?

I went for baking classes to learn on how to bake. I am a person who does not have any knowledge of baking. The first lesson I attended was to learn how to make bread. That was my first time attending baking classes.

What have you learnt from the process?

1)   Knowledge and Skills in baking –The different types of kneading the dough, what are the dos and don’ts I need to take note of when I want to prepare certain bakes. I am definitely not an expert in baking but with the bits and pieces shared and taught during the courses I attended, it helps me to be aware.

 2)   Time Management – Making sure I have time to do my full time work and also working on my goals.

What are your next steps?

• To continue working on my goals - to bake for my family and close friends and gather their feedback

• Go for more courses

• To also learn how to start a HBB – like what are the things I need to look out for

What advice do you have for families that want to follow in your footsteps?

Its ok to start from zero. You will gain more knowledge along the way.

Even if it seems like it’s not going to work out, don’t give up.