Hemarruben Turns His Passion for Baking Into a Growing Business to Support His 82-Year-Old Grandmother

Abandoned by his biological parents just days after birth and raised by his now 82-year-old grandmother, life has never been easy for K. Hemarruben, 29. Born with limited vision in one eye, the Sungai Petani, Kedah native lost his sight completely in 2019, at the age of 21, after extremely high eye pressure damaged his optic nerve.

"Previously, I could still see with one eye. However, on the morning of March 1, 2019, I woke up and realised that I had completely lost my vision. The pressure in my eye was so high that it damaged my optic nerve," he told Astro AWANI during a recent interview.

Before losing his sight, Hemarruben had undergone vocational training in biscuit and cake-making at St Nicholas Home in Penang before pursuing a career in the hospitality industry. However, another setback came in 2020 when he lost his job during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rather than allowing the circumstances to hold him back, he saw it as an opportunity to build something of his own, especially with the responsibility of caring for the grandmother who had raised him and was growing older.

"At that time, I kept wondering how I was going to move forward and what I could do after losing my job.

"Then, I remembered the baking skills I had learned and decided to start my own business," he said.

Armed with those skills, Hemarruben started small in 2020, initially producing just three types of cookies. With no proper equipment or social media account of his own, he had to build the business from scratch. He initially borrowed baking equipment from friends before gradually purchasing the necessary tools and ingredients. For promotion, he also relied on his friends' social media accounts.

"Everything started from zero. Initially, I knew how to make cookies, but I did not have the equipment.

"My friends helped by lending me their equipment before I slowly bought what I needed. I also used their social media accounts to promote my products," he said.

Today, his business, Ruben Delights, has grown to offer approximately 34 varieties of cookies, including recipes developed through his own creativity. One of its signature products is Green Pea Cookies, alongside a variety of 100 per cent vegetarian cookies that can be enjoyed by people from different cultural backgrounds.

However, running a baking business without sight comes with its own challenges, particularly when it comes to ensuring that every batch of cookies is baked to perfection. Unable to see changes in colour during the baking process, Hemarruben relies on his sense of smell and baking time to determine when the cookies are ready.

"One of the biggest challenges is knowing whether the cookies are properly baked. Since I cannot see their colour, I rely on my sense of smell and the baking time as a guide.

"My grandmother also helps by checking the colour of the cookies to make sure they meet the quality I want," he said.

Besides accepting orders for Deepavali, Ruben Delights also prepares cookies for Christmas and Chinese New Year celebrations. Its offerings include cakes, traditional Indian sweets such as ladoo, and a variety of pastries.

Any profits earned from the business are carefully saved and reinvested to cover operating expenses and support its growth.

"My hope is to always give my customers the best. I want the cookies I make to bring happiness to people as they celebrate special occasions with their families.

"I also want to show that persons with disabilities are capable of achieving many things and that physical limitations should never be an excuse to give up on success," he said.

For Hemarruben, true light is not something that needs to be seen with the eyes. Instead, it comes from the strength of the heart and the determination to keep moving forward despite life's challenges.

Those interested in placing an order can contact Hemarruben through Ruben Delights' social media platforms.
 

Source / Image Credit : Awani