00:01It all started with a post she came across on threads, which sparked an idea for Noor
00:07Zarina Zakaria to start an edible garden. At the time, the 43-year-old had just lost her job as
00:14a
00:14customer service employee in August 2025 and was unsure about what to do next. But what initially
00:22felt like an ending soon opened the door to a new chapter, one filled with homegrown produce,
00:28fresh air, and a flock of chickens.
00:33Last year I was 42, it's very hard for me to find job actually. And then my husband was like
00:38telling me like, okay lah, you don't have to get a job immediately. Maybe you stay at home
00:43first, take care of our daughter. And then I found this lady, she was sharing her garden.
00:51She's based in Cerenganu and the post that really caught my attention was corn.
00:58And the corn is like the normal yellow corn. I think it's purple or maybe red colour.
01:04And I was like, is it possible to like grow that in Malaysia? I'm like so intrigued by it.
01:10She began with a few plants before her backyard gradually grew into one filled with vegetables,
01:16herbs, and other edible plants.
01:19So I started buying from Shopee.
01:23I bought the rice bed, and then the butter, the cement, I asked my husband to go to the hardware
01:33store,
01:33and then I used everything myself. I bought like maybe less than two months, everything like ready.
01:41And then I shared.
01:42And then I shared.
01:43From the first, until successful, on thread.
01:46Her backyard project soon expanded to include another addition.
01:50Chickens.
01:57The chicken came into the equation earlier this year, during our 12th year anniversary.
02:04I was actually lobbying my husband for cats. I like cats.
02:08But he said, like, cats are like, like, like, they'd rather that we have something that we have,
02:14you know, like in this economy, right? So he said, we can have chicken.
02:18From feeding them in the morning to tending her plants and harvesting fresh produce,
02:23she has found joy in the simple rhythm of caring for living things.
02:26But her journey has not always been smooth.
02:29Living with bipolar disorder after being diagnosed in 2022,
02:34she experienced a depressive episode that temporarily disrupted the routine and enjoyment.
02:40During that phase too, because I still have to fetch my daughter,
02:43before I go to fetch her, I will go to 10 to my coop.
02:47But I don't enjoy it. I do it because this is my responsibility.
02:52Then, a small but meaningful moment helped reignite her interest.
02:56I look at them like, one day, two days, three days, long-long.
03:02After that, the turning point, when my hand started laying eggs,
03:09when I came to eat, when I came to eat, I still felt like it was okay.
03:13When I came to eat, I saw an egg in the pine wood chaffing.
03:22Like, oh my god!
03:24After that, when I met, I was excited.
03:27I took my phone, I made a story.
03:30You know, it was like,
03:31like, people say,
03:32ayam bertelur sebijik rio sekampung.
03:34Like, the owner,
03:35ayam bertelur sebijik rio satu internet,
03:38they announced it to the whole internet to, like,
03:40like, bagitahu semua orang.
03:41Like, I rasa macam,
03:43oh my god, walaupun I tak sihat,
03:45I, you know, walaupun ni,
03:47I still managed to bela diorang.
03:50She said, caring for living things,
03:52gives her a reason to step outside,
03:54stay active,
03:55and maintain a routine.
03:57Because of my manic face,
03:59because I saw that a garden,
04:02I was so inspired to have something like that,
04:05and after I got what she had,
04:10like, tak macam dia lah,
04:11tapi very similar.
04:13Actually, it really helped now lah,
04:15sebab it forced me to go outside.
04:17Kalau tak, ayah keduduk je dalam.
04:19I memang tak lebih selfish dah.
04:21I have life depending on me,
04:23besides my daughter and my husband.
04:25Today, her backyard is more than just a place to grow food.
04:29It is where she spends her day,
04:31and enjoys the simple rewards of growing something with her own hands.
04:35She now dreams of one day,
04:37owning a bigger piece of land,
04:39where she can expand her edible garden,
04:42raise more chickens,
04:43and grow more of her own food.
04:45For Zarina,
04:46losing her job ultimately became the beginning of something she never expected.
04:51People manifesting for this,
04:53Alhamdulillah,
04:54walaupun I kena let go from my job,
04:56Allah bagi I,
04:57this thing,
04:58macam I tak payah apa,
04:59Ya Allah kan,
05:00tak nak kerja,
05:01I nak,
05:02I nak adun rumah,
05:03jadi housewife,
05:04chicken keeping,
05:05tanam pokok,
05:06I just,
05:07just dapat.
05:08I'll tell you about it.
05:08See you soon.
05:08Thank you!
05:09Bye!
05:11Bye!
05:12You
