Reaching out to the needy

ACTRESS, emcee and TV host Sazzy Falak – along with her celebrity friends who make up Celepets (Celebrity with Pet Projects) – have been busy helping organisations that work with the underprivileged for years.

During our recent phone interview, I brought up one project she and her friends were involved in, called Power To Empower, which was in collaboration with Mompreneur Asia.

During Ramadan last year, they had a huge fundraiser to help single mothers.

“We are still active in that, but the ones taking the lead are Daphne Iking and Yasmin Hani. It was an idea Aishah Sinclair and I came up with that everyone [supported]. We are always adding on ideas. This is after 10 years of being friends and working together on different causes.”

They would normally get together during the fasting month and hold a Malam Amal (Charity Night), where they would collect funds for various causes. Over the years they have channelled funds towards children’s causes.

“Only about seven years ago we started working with single mothers associations. Six out of seven of us are mothers and we felt it was a cause that was close to our hearts.”

Last year they took things up a notch with an event that saw a proper programme featuring the celebrity ladies, the sponsors and organisations involved.

There were plans to do it again this year, but the current Covid-19 pandemic may have thrown a wrench into the works.

Fortunately, the ladies are still in contact with each other, trying to come up with new ideas.

“We are still very active in helping single mothers. Us being on lockdown is one thing, but what about these mothers?

“Where are they going to go to sell their nasi lemak, or do their own work?

“These are women who have irregular jobs, and some of them have a business selling curry puffs by the roadside. None of them can go out to work now and earn money. We are still coming up with ideas. Nothing has been finalised yet. I am trying to raise funds to send to them. At least to help them buy groceries.”

When asked if being a mum makes her more inclined towards certain causes, Sazzy said: “Each one of us has different causes. Aishah is an environmentalist, Daphne is with Women’s Aid Organisation, Yasmin Hani is with orphans.

“I think that somehow because we are mums we narrowed [things] down to helping single mothers living in poverty.

“But each one of us has a different cause that we believe in and fight for individually. But single mums is something we fight for together.”

Though Sazzy helped bring up the idea for championing single mothers, she has her own cause that is close to her heart.

“Mine is the homeless. I was helping to feed the homeless. Not with the soup kitchens but with organisations like Reach Out Malaysia. There was one year I was giving out food at Masjid Jamek and I saw single mothers. It was about seven years ago and I had become a mother by then.

“I always worked with Kindness Malaysia. And they linked us to several associations. It started from there.”

Sazzy has had an eventful past few months. First her husband Nazril Idrus was badly hurt in a road accident late last year (he has since recovered). And last month, the family adopted a baby boy.

Having been in the showbiz industry and having her own business has given her many experiences.

When asked how she balances her own personal life while trying to help others, She said: “I take things one day at a time. I have always been on top of things. I know as a family, we can take on whatever comes our way.”

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