KUALA LUMPUR: Bachelor of Communications student Vicneswary Subramaniam, 23, lost her father to a heart attack last year.
Then in August this year, she lost her job because of the Covid-19 pandemic and got evicted from the family home in November.
She now lives in fear of having to abandon her degree at Open University Malaysia (OUM) Bangi because she has no way of settling the outstanding RM1,018.18 she owes them.
Today, she and her mother sell cut fruit at Taman Suntex, Cheras as a means to earn an income.
Vicneswary lives with her mother, grandfather and two adopted dogs. Her father passed away from a heart attack last year.
Vicneswary packs all the things she and her mother will need to set-up their fruit stall later.
Vicneswary and her mother Puspa, 44, get the fruit stall ready for the day’s business. The fruit stall is located opposite the Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) at Taman Suntex, Cheras.
One important aspect of their business is ensuring they have sufficient ice cubes to keep the fruits fresh throughout the day.
Puspa makes sure the ice cubes are evenly packed in the display unit before placing the sliced fruits on them.
Puspa washes a fresh papaya before slicing it and packing it for the convenience of customers.
The two women have a routine – Puspa slices the fruits while her daughter packs them into plastic bags.
Vicneswary begins arranging the fruits neatly in the clear display unit.
Customers purchasing freshly cut fruits at RM2 per packet at their stall.
Vicneswary takes care of her 82-year-old grandfather who lives with them.
After a hard day’s work, Vicneswary switches on her laptop and ploughs through her university assignments. She is currently studying part-time for a Bachelor of Communications at Open University Malaysia (OUM) Bangi.
Vicneswary worries she may not be able to continue her studies next semester in January unless she can settle the outstanding RM1,018.18 she still owes the university.
