Tan Shi Wen's SESO Malaysia works to feed the country's underprivileged and socially isolated
While studying for her law degree in the United Kingdom, Tan Shi Wen volunteered for various causes including teaching at a school for Down Syndrome individuals and helping out at nursing homes and orphanages.
In that time, she discovered how organisations took food “waste”—food that can be consumed but is consciously discarded at the retail or consumption phases—and transformed them into hot meals for the homeless and underprivileged.
In 2018, after returning to Malaysia, Tan decided to start her non-profit organisation, Save Environment Save Ourselves (SESO) Malaysia, to combat poverty and food waste.
Here, in her own words, Tan answers how she stays motivated, her biggest lessons gained on the job and how SESO is adjusting its strategy.
I've always wanted to contribute to charities, so I volunteered for many different causes. SESO began in my mom's kitchen, where I would cook for people in need.
Every weekend, we would serve hot meals to people on the streets. I would bring plastic tables and chairs from home, and we would set up a makeshift eating area. Unlike a soup kitchen, members of SESO would sit down and accompany the homeless people. The help we provide is more than just sharing food; it's about [being able to] share our stories with one another.
The main challenge we faced when we started was finding volunteers. For the first few months, we only had three to five people helping out, so I started asking family and friends who would pass the word along as well. Eventually, we got university students and working adults who wanted to volunteer.
To maintain our food supply, we partner with local supermarkets and sundry shops. We will rescue food from these establishments that would otherwise be tossed aside and create unique products from them such as kombucha. We hire individuals from the Bottom 40 (B40) community to help us pack food items and cook meals.
I take pride in ensuring food reaches underprivileged families. The response from those we have helped has been tremendous, with families donating back to SESO and the community. I draw strength from these stories and use them to fuel my ambition to keep going.
See more honourees from the Social Entrepreneurship category of the Gen.T List 2022.