REMBAU, It was akin to a windfall. That is the sentiment echoed by a housewife here upon earning approximately RM2,000 in just 15 days through her participation in a vending machine business programme under the People's Income Initiative (IPR) Food Entrepreneur Initiative (INSAN) category. Nella Dewi Hendrik Sapoan, 28, who joined the programme in January, said she learned about it through a friend before applying in March 2023 to boost her family's income. "At that time, the program wasn't widely known yet. I was interested in applying, so I searched for information online, and my application was approved in June. Previously, I sold food part time with unpredictable earnings. I never expected to earn such a decent 'salary' from the IPR," she told Bernama recently. The mother of three, whose vending machine is located at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Rembau Campus, said initially sales were slow because students were unaware of the vending machine. "Students have morning classes, so I deliver food at noon. However, after a week, the response was very good. If the food runs out, they contact me for more. Alhamdulillah, it helps to increase our family's income, and I can also support my husband who works as a deliveryman," she said. Nella Dewi, who also holds a certificate in food handling, said she sells nasi lemak, spaghetti, sandwiches, and fruits, priced between RM2 and RM5, all of which she prepares herself. "This programme is very helpful, especially for housewives. I can cook while taking care of my children at home. It also saves time and is convenient... I just need to load the vending machine twice a day and monitor the stock through a special app," she said. Another IPR participant who operates a vending machine on the same campus, Siti Zauyah Zakariah, 50, said she has been in the programme for four months and hopes it will be continued as it helps the less fortunate, especially single mothers like herself, to supplement their income. "I learned about this programme through the news and told my children that I wanted to apply... then a district office official came to our house and said I got a vending machine. We were given training to operate the machine; my children helped a lot because I'm not very skilled... I earned nearly RM1,000 a month," she said. The mother of nine, whose husband passed away four years ago, said she would stock food such as fried noodles, fried rice, rice dishes, salads, and meatballs in the vending machine three times a day, and always receives a warm response from the students. "In just a matter of hours, everything is sold out. Some students even call asking for more food. There are officers monitoring the quality and cleanliness... if there are any issues with the machine, I report it immediately," she said, adding that the programme has truly helped her family's finances. UiTM third-semester business and management student, Nur Airin Aziri, 20, said the vending machine is very convenient when students feel hungry after studying at night, as they save time not go ing outside to buy food. Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan state deputy secretary (Development), Datuk Muhamad Nahar Mohd Sidek, mentioned that there are currently five IPR vending machines in the state, three at UiTM Rembau Campus and one each at UiTM Seremban 3 and UiTM Kuala Pilah. He said there are plans to place these machines in several other premises, including hospitals and health clinics, this year, subject to the availability from the Ministry of Economy. In March 2023, Minister of Economy, Mohd Rafizi Ramli, launched the IPR vending machine programme, aiming to expand it to 5,000 recipients under the INSAN category this year. Recipients will be provided with vending machines at selected locations, and the monthly rental between RM600 to RM800 will be fully covered by the government for two years. Source: BERNAMA News Agency