Seeking Help for Our Business & Livelihood

Hi, my name is Joanne and I am from Malaysia. I am 40 years old this year and for the 1^st time in my life, I am seeking help from the public to support our business and us. We have started an online business recently selling 2^nd hand children's books and our idea is to grow this business so that we can have a sustainable business for ourselves.

Before I started this business, I was a woodworker here in Malaysia. Funding was not easy to come by – banks rejected my applications for loans due to the infancy of my business and as much as I tried building the woodworking business, it is unfortunate that I have to shut it down because of my health issues.

In 2012, I have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and mild lumbar spondylosis on my L4 and L5 of my spine. Being a woodworker with limited funding, my husband decided to quit his job to help me out in the business. We were hopeful in the beginning and things were going quite smoothly only to be met with my rapid health deterioration which hinders our deadlines and work efficiency. He ends up shuffling me between doctor’s visits and taking care of my immobility during my days of flaring up.

After we ended our woodworking business, we venture into this online business – we are not planning only to sell the children's books but to provide story-telling sessions through podcasts and animations in hopes of reaching a bigger audience. Here’s where we are struggling – we need funds and equipment to help materialize this process.

Currently, we are seeking support to get a new computer, a drawing tablet, podcasts equipment, and some floating funds for a day to day expenses. We understand that it is difficult times during this pandemic and we do hope that you can help us in contributing to our chance of building a sustainable business for ourselves.

We sincerely thank you for considering and contributing to us, our business and our livelihood.