The tough road to success
WOMEN today have progressed beyond being nurturers at home.
They often epitomise strength and resilience as they balance their careers and families.
In conjunction with International Women’s Day, KFC celebrates the women behind its counters who continue to wear the uniform with pride despite their personal struggles.
Siti Adawiyiah Hassan (Aida) is no stranger to hardship.
As the eldest child, Aida began working parttime at KFC at the age of 15 to help support her family.
It took a great deal of courage and faith for her to lift her family out of poverty and change her destiny for the better.
“People often assume that the fairer sex is weaker and thus less capable. To break away from that stereotype, I took on the challenge of furthering my studies while building my career at the same time,” she said.
As a restaurant manager at the Sentul Raya KFC Community Care outlet, Aida coaches staff members who suffer from speech and hearing impairments.
To excel in her work with the special needs community, she taught herself sign language through the Internet and daily interactions with the staff.
Despite the challenges, she gained new experiences and appreciation for the special needs community.
While working, Aida also pursued a diploma in human resources at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. She graduated in 2015.
As a mother of three, Aida shared that juggling her responsibilities between her career and family was no easy feat.
Yet, what drove her on was her wish to become a role model for her children.
“We should not be bound by stereotypes that restrict a woman’s role to the kitchen. We have to break free from that.
“Believe in yourself and you can achieve anything you set your mind to,” Aida advised.
Likewise, 25yearold twins Mardhiah and Mariam Hussin believe that “in order to attain what you want, you have to work hard. Then, and only then, will you achieve success”.
As the breadwinner of the family, their mother struggled to support her four daughters by selling rojak, fruits and drinks.
Inspired by their mother’s resilience, the twins were determined to care for her in return.
After graduating from high school, Mardhiah and Mariam left their home in Sabah to earn a living at the KFC TTDI DriveThru outlet.
However, their journey was not without its trials and tribulations.
Part of the challenge was overcoming the stereotypes of working behind the counter.
Relatives and friends often advised them to move away from “lowstandard” work as a cashier and to find better jobs within an office environment instead.
Nevertheless, the twins kept a positive outlook as they loved their work.
Their experience in managing customer service allowed them to take on new challenges and learn new knowledge.
It also taught them patience and the importance of respecting the varying needs of different customers.
The constant motivation and support from their family and mentors, as well as the recognition of their hard work from customers has helped them understand their work better and grow as employees.
Armed with a constant smile, Ee Yan Lim from Arau, Perlis, is always happy to guide and share her experiences with new staff.
Beneath her cheerful disposition, however, lies an untold struggle of a mother’s love for her child.
In 1993, left to raise a fourmonthold son on her own, the then 32yearold single mother turned to KFC to make ends meet.
Come rain or shine, she commuted a distance of 10km daily to work on her motorcycle, braving dark roads at night and unfavourable weather at times.
With such perseverance, she was able to provide for her son’s education.
Now, at the age of 57, Ee continues to ride her motorcycle to work to support herself.
The friendly working environment at KFC, along with the unrelenting support she received from colleagues and the company, was what motivated Ee to keep moving forward for the past 25 years.
Her advice to all women, especially single mothers, is to never give up.
“The best way to carry on with life is to turn challenges into selfmotivation to be successful in life, and to prove that we can provide the best for our children with our own effort,” she said.
These women are among the many who are key to KFC’s continued success. This includes women working behind counters and all around the organisation.
“A total of 57% of people working for KFC Malaysia are women. We recognise that a diverse workforce is good for the business.
“Women are committed. They possess a unique flair and finesse. It is a fact that they, too, play extraordinary roles for the business,” said QSR Brands (M) Holdings Berhad chief executive officer Restaurant Division Merrill Pereyra.
“It is important for us to celebrate their achievements and contributions because they deserve to be recognised. These women work relentlessly to transform their living conditions and advance in life.
“They have proven that nothing is impossible as long as you are motivated and determined to bring the best out of yourself.
“To all the women of KFC and the world out there, we would like to say that your future is always bright, equal, safe and rewarding. Keep inspiring us and impacting lives. Thank you for the hard work and contributions that you have brought to our community, family and this organisation,” said Pereyra.
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