A mother’s love is boundless. It means doing whatever it takes for her children, no matter the obstacles. Siti Norol Salwani Ismail’s story is a prime example.
Despite facing hardships, she’s determined to support her child. Her journey shows just how far a mother will go for her family’s happiness.
4 hours journey: Changkat Jering, Perak to KL
For nearly a year now, Siti Norol Salwani Ismail has been embarking on a weekly journey of almost 300km on her motorcycle. Her purpose? To sell fresh vegetables in Kuala Lumpur, all in support of her 10-year-old child.
At 29, Siti Norol travels from Changkat Jering to Kuala Lumpur, a four-hour journey, to sell her vegetables. She started this venture as a struggling single mom with what she called a “crazy idea.”
Recently married for the second time, Siti Norol affirms her commitment to continue this journey, citing the popularity of her fresh vegetables as the driving force behind her determination, reported NST.
How it all started
Her inspiration struck after a visit to Bandar Sri Permaisuri in Cheras last year, where she purchased vegetables at exorbitant prices.
“After that incident, I realised I could share fresh vegetables from my hometown with the residents of Kuala Lumpur,” she explains.
“It’s convenient to source them in Changkat Jering and Bukit Gantang.”
It was a little taxing at first
Initially daunting, the long-distance travel spanning hundreds of kilometres and lasting more than four hours on her motorcycle, proved to be worthwhile.
“At first, it was a little taxing for me as I had to travel really far, for hundreds of kilometres, and took more than four hours by motorcycle.
“But, I didn’t realise how successful my little business would be… probably because the petai, paku, ubi, Brazilian spinach, broad beans, other vegetables and fruits like nangka and soursop are really fresh,” she said.
Selling her harvest at prices comparable to those in Changkat Jering, Siti Norol maintains a steady clientele.
“I sell them for about RM2 to RM10… not much different from the prices in Changat Jering. Almost every week, I will travel from Changkat Jering to Kuala Lumpur on my Honda RS125 Fi to sell my kampung vegetables,” she said.
‘That’s not a problem, I feel satisfied’
Despite being the fifth of 10 siblings, Siti Norol faces occasional setbacks such as punctured tires and adverse weather conditions.
“That’s pretty normal. At one point, I couldn’t continue my journey and my motorcycle was stuck on the highway. The travel costs me about RM50, but that’s not a problem and I feel satisfied ‘sharing’ fresh vegetables from my kampung with people in Kuala Lumpur,” she said.
Earlier this year, her business briefly halted as she prepared for her recent nuptials. Additionally, her motorcycle suffered a breakdown, but she now rides a new one, determined to resume her travels to sell vegetables in Cheras.
“My new husband is supportive of my business… in fact, he intends to help me,” she said.
What do you think of this heartwarming revelation by Siti Norol? Let us know!
