A Tradition Reborn
Morsinah Katimin never thought she would run her own business. Originally born in Singapore, Morsinah held a number of jobs before she found herself in San Francisco without a job or a clue what her next step would be.
One day, a friend told her about the EARN program. “It seemed like a great opportunity,” she says.
At that time, Morsinah had just rediscovered a traditional Javanese drink called “Jamu," known for its healing powers. Jamu is a very old drink, and its reputation hadn’t aged well. Even in her native Singapore, most people thought of Jamu as “an old person’s drink." Morsinah knew, however, that if this incredible drink could be re-packaged and rebranded, that it might have a chance to succeed in today’s market.
She was right! Her company, Sajen Jamu, is taking off. The drink was recently featured in the book and movie Eat, Pray, Love, and even people in Morsinah's native Singapore and Malaysia are taking note.
Recently, Morsinah won a competition that put her in touch with many potential investors. One investor, who works for the Malaysian government, has agreed to invest $2 million to open a factory in Malaysia that would exclusively produce Sajen Jamu. Not too shabby for a company whose founder had never considered owning her own business!
Morsinah is taking it all in stride. “All this is very new to me,” she says. However, she is extremely excited about the opportunities she’s had since joining EARN. “My matched savings with EARN helped make the idea of starting a business real," says Morsinah, "and everyone encouraged me along the way to pursue my dream to its fullest."
So far, the results are certainly a dream come true.
Until next time,
Matt Silva
Levi Strauss Storytelling Associate
