For Manimala K Govindarasan, founder of Stitch Story Enterprise, her joy comes through creating handicrafts.
She has discovered a unique way to express herself and navigate life’s challenges by crafting a diverse range of accessories and home décor items.
Manimala also has a special talent of transforming everyday items such as bottles, soup ladles and pots into pieces of art by painting intricate designs on them.
“I love to create beautiful things, and I enjoy seeing people wear my products. I’m just someone who likes to see beauty everywhere,” the 54-year-old told FMT Lifestyle.
“Handcrafting my products helps take away my worries and bring peace to my mind,” she added.
Of all her crafts, crocheting has a special place in her heart. “I must crochet before I sleep. It makes me feel at peace and I feel the day is fulfilled,” she said, adding that she picked up the basics of crocheting from her mother when she was young.
Manimala’s talent became a lifeline seven years ago when her husband was unable to earn a living any longer after suffering a stroke. Although she was earning a side income with tuition classes even then, her husband was the primary breadwinner.
Faced with the challenge of making ends meet, she increased her teaching load while caring for him. But the pandemic brought another setback as her students’ parents stopped tuition until in-person classes could resume.
Having loved making handicrafts since she was young, she decided to turn this love into a source of income. She recalled feeling uncertain of her chances but knew that she had to give it a shot.
She began by crafting earrings, bangles and home décor items, initially gifting them to family and friends to assess their interest.
Encouraged by their positive feedback, she began selling her creations. Her business grew through word of mouth, thanks to the support of those close to her.
Determined to refine her craft, Manimala took courses to further hone her skills. Even as her business grew, customer feedback remained invaluable to her.
“When they send me photos of them wearing my creations and tell me that they’ve received compliments, it truly makes my day,” she said with a smile.
Today, her more popular creations include necklaces, bangles and brooches. She also accepts custom orders, with many clients requesting personalised accessories to match their outfits for special occasions.
For the Chinese New Year season, she introduced beautiful crochet décor items shaped like lanterns and oranges.
Manimala’s journey took a significant step forward after she joined the Khadijah Artisans Mentoring Program, a collaboration between Khadijah International Waqf (L) Foundation and Persatuan Pembangunan Artisans (PPA).
The programme offers women artisans from low-income backgrounds the guidance they need to succeed, while also helping expand the distribution channels for their products.
“The mentoring sessions have been really wonderful as they gave me constructive feedback about ways to overcome setbacks and areas that needed improvement. I’m so grateful to them,” she said.
Her products are also available at PPA’s outlets in Berjaya Times Square at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, offering her a fantastic opportunity to expand her reach.
Since joining the programme, Manimala shared that she has gained greater confidence in her abilities, and now hopes to empower other people, especially women, through workshops.
“I want to help them create products that can bring in some income – even if it’s a modest amount. This way, their passion can turn into a business.”
Reflecting on her journey, Manimala feels a deep sense of fulfilment for having taken the leap of faith to use her talents. Things are truly looking up. And her husband’s health has also improved.
To aspiring entrepreneurs, she shared this piece of advice: “Stay passionate. Be patient with your growth, be consistent and believe in your vision.”
To learn more about the products by Stitch Story Enterprise, contact Manimala K Govindarasan at 012-387 6850.