LITTLE did they expect that what began about a decade ago as a one-off charity project would later become an annual programme that they would continue to undertake till today.
Aishah Sinclair, Sazzy Falak, Yasmin Hani, Daphne Iking, Atilia Haron, Dynas Mokhtar and Serena C make up the Celepets (short for Celebrity with Pet Project). The seven celebrities first came together to form Celepets over discussions about the need to give back to society.
According to emcee and TV host Daphne, they first started out as acquaintances who happened to be in the same industry but it didn’t take long for them to grow close to one another.
They shared about almost everything under the sun. More importantly, it’s the shared understanding of empowering and encouraging one another which brought them closer.
“Come to think of it, yes, although we knew one another, we weren’t close friends prior to establishing Celepets. Even after that, we didn’t really meet frequently, which is of course due to the nature of our job and family commitments,” shares the 40-year-old mother of three.
But their friendship blossomed, and so did the charity work that they do.
“Next thing we knew, we’ve become really close, much like sisters... and formed one huge happy family,” says Daphne.
They soon realised that they share an inclination for charity work.
“Since then, we’ve been communicating almost on a daily basis, thus forging closer ties among us,” adds the Keningau-born who is also an actress.
For actress-turned-enterpreneur Sazzy, 39, there is no room for jealousy among them.
“Of course, I’d be lying if I said that there was no bumpy road throughout our 10-year journey as buddies. But when there were disagreements, we would quickly resolve them,” she adds.
“What is important is that we support one another especially when it comes to our work. If I’m unable to accept a hosting job due to my packed schedule, I will suggest the organisers to consider anyone in our group. This approach is also undertaken by the rest of us.”
THE WAY FORWARD
As the Celepets celebrates its 10th anniversary, Aishah, 38, says that they have unanimously agreed to undertake something a little more meaningful to mark a decade of charity work.
“If previously we organised a buka puasa event for the less privileged, this time around, we have decided to take a step further by starting a project for single mothers,” she adds.
The Celepets has teamed up with two non-governmental organisations — Mompreneur Asia and Kindness Asia — to help mobilise the project dubbed “The Power to Empower: Celepets Mentorship Programme to Empower Single Mothers to Achieve Financial Freedom”.
“A woman’s ability to provide for her family is empowering, not only for her but also her children,” adds Sazzy at the launch of the programme at Publika in Kuala Lumpur.
Atilia and Yasmin Hani were also present at the event.
Mompreneur Asia co-founder Niney Chong says the aim is to provide women real and tangible skills that will help elevate their families’ economic standing.
“Most of them have a certain skill they are passionate about, such as baking and sewing, but they do not know how to turn it into a business. We want to help them with that so that they can achieve their dreams.”
Ten single mothers will be selected for the three-month programme which will emphasise skills enhancement. Each participant will be paired with a mentor.
The programme will also see the involvement of Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation which will provide training on digital entrepreneurship under its e-Usahawan programme.