[MY] Niece helps 62-year-old retired aunt sell handmade pouches for extra income

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Jessie, now in her 60s, decided to retire from the restaurant business earlier in the year. But when the Movement Control Order (MCO) period began in Malaysia, everything changed. With the difficult economic climate, having a little extra money to fall back on suddenly became important.

From the flurry of activity that comes with running a restaurant, to then being cooped up at home, Jessie found that she had a lot of spare time on her hands. She decided to put her hands to work. Having always sewn outfits for the family, Jessie was an excellent seamstress, and decided to hand sew pouches from extra material she had in her home, to make some money. She wanted to sell them, but didn’t know how to, and approached her niece Ash (@hotpockets), for some extra help.

Ash, who had never sold anything before, checked with those around her for recommendations and was told that Carousell was the most hassle-free option for online sales, especially during the MCO.

Ash said, “I wanted to help my Aunt put her pouches up online so that they would have a bigger reach and sell quickly. She’s not very tech-savvy, and neither am I, but Carousell has been really easy to use.“

“I’m happy that she finally decided to take a break in her 60s after toiling in the restaurant business all these years. But while being at home, she still needs something to keep occupied, and get some sort of side income. Our Aunt used to sew many things for us, even sewing my skirts for me so it would fit better, amongst other things. She’s always willing to help us and I’m so glad that I can finally help her out. Selling her pouches has made her very happy,” said Ash.

The past few months have been tough, but our Carousellers have inspired us by #MakingTheBest – from starting a side hustle to finding treasures – so can you! 🙌