eHomemakers Malaysia

Photo by Tzer Haw I gave our orders to the kedai kopi proprietor as he wiped his sweaty forehead with a white Good-morning towel. Flipping it over his shoulder, he yelled to the back of the shop, “Kopi susu DU-A! (two milk coffee)” His round belly raised proudly into the air, almost bursting the threads on his white singlet. His powerful voice, reverberating within the four walls of the shop, came to a crescendo at the last word. Babara, my visiting Canadian friend, covered her ears with her palms. “Wow, he’s so loud!” “You ain’t see nothing yet! Watch how the man there makes our coffee!” I nudged Mary to turn her head to the back area of the shop. The man, dressed just like the proprietor, was standing in front of a big round bronze pot with cooking gas burning menacingly underneath. He grabbed the handle of a long bronze spoon and – Pang! -- flipped open the pot with the other hand. Boiling water bubbled noisily inside. Without a single grimace at the mass of s...

My full-time job these days is working for Ashoka's Changemakers , an international social enterprise organization that brings people together online to find solutions for different social issues. We host a number of different competitions and I just wanted to share two opportunities that the eHomemakers crowd might be particularly well suited for: Women | Tools | Technology: Building Opportunities & Economic Power This competition focuses on innovations that enable women to use the power of technology to expand their opportunities for economic advancement. Obviously, I immediately thought of eHomemakers but I'm sure there are other organizations and individuals in the community who have great ideas for this competition. The deadline is April 14. More... Leveraging Business for Social Change: Building the Field of Social Business Changemakers and Artemisia are looking at how social business initiatives can thrive and scale-up their impact on quality of life. You have...

I just wanted to draw your attention to a few great features on the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) site. First is a short profile of eHomemakers and its basket weaving program and the second is a case study by eHomemakers' founder Chong Sheau Ching in which she shares her experiences leading the company. And while we're on the topic of women and technology, check out the report " Bridging the Gender Divide: How Technology Can Advance Women Economically " by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). It's a great read and just in time for International Women's Day .

Or perhaps the other way around.... Before I get started, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Alexis and I'll be writing occasionally on social enterprise issues for the eHomemakers blog. I've been working/volunteering in digital media and marketing for the past five years and I also have experience in harm reduction health outreach. I'm looking forward to sharing my perspective from the United States while learning more about the challenges and joys of doing business in Southeast Asia. I've recently been exploring the eHomemakers website and corresponding with its founder. In case you're not familiar with eHomemakers (although considering you're reading this blog, you must be somewhat familiar), they are based out of Kuala Lumpur and they provide networking, support, and an online community to women who work from home. What I love about their philosophy is their focus on empowering women economically while understanding the cultural and personal oblig...