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Newsroom | 14 Mar 2023
Sompo Welfare Foundation Grants RM32,000 To Seven Tea One Sdn Bhd For Halal Herbal Tea Centre
Kuala Lumpur, 9 March 2023 - The Sompo Welfare Foundation (“The Foundation”) presented a cheque amounting to RM32,000 to Seven Tea One Sdn Bhd (“Seven Tea One”). Seven Tea One is among the four recipients of the Foundation's FY2022 International Social Welfare Grant outside Japan. This is the tenth time Malaysia is receiving international grant support from the Sompo Welfare Foundation. 

Berjaya Sompo Insurance (“Berjaya Sompo”), the Malaysian operating entity and part of Sompo Holdings (Asia) Pte. Ltd recommended Seven Tea One to be one of the grant recipients for their continuous effort towards programmes aimed at equipping individuals with disabilities with skill sets that will improve their employability opportunities. The grant from the Foundation will fund the setting up of a Halal-certified production centre which will help Seven Tea One increase its market growth to supply Halal-certified healthy infusion herbal blends for a growing community seeking natural, wellness and Halal-friendly beverages.  
 
(From left) Mr Tan Sek Kee, CEO of Berjaya Sompo Insurance; Mr Lai Chong Haur, owner of Seven Tea One;
Mr Tsuyoshi Seto, Deputy CEO of Berjaya Sompo; Puan Jun Ishak, Chief Human Resource Officer of Berjaya Sompo; together with the beneficiaries from Seven Tea One

Mr. Tan Sek Kee, Chief Executive Officer of Berjaya Sompo, said, "At Berjaya Sompo, we actively strive towards being a diverse and inclusive society. We are honoured to support Seven Tea One in their mission to provide vocational training and employment space for individuals with disabilities."

"We are encouraged to see Seven Tea One's efforts in making the company production line sustainable through developing their infusion herbal blends market and training centre. We are confident that they will achieve their vision to produce socially responsible products and foster inclusivity in the communities," he added. 

Mr Tan Sek Kee presented the RM32,000 mock cheque to Mr Lai Chong Haur, the owner of Seven Tea One Sdn Bhd. In his acceptance speech, Mr Lai said, “It is an honour to be selected as one of the recipients of the Sompo Welfare Foundation Social Welfare Grant, which will go into expanding our business and equipping the production centre. In the coming year, we intend to provide more job opportunities to differently-abled and single mothers from the B40 group. Hence, we are grateful to receive the grant as it helps us further increase the business capital and grow our impact."

(From left) Mr Tan Sek Kee, CEO of Berjaya Sompo Insurance; Mr Lai Chong Haur, owner of Seven Tea One;
Mr Tsuyoshi Seto, Deputy CEO of Berjaya Sompo

Currently, Seven Tea One employs six individuals with disabilities and provides training for 15 specially-abled trainees at their vocational training centre. They envision extending their impact to enable more individuals with disabilities to receive training and support for employment. With the growing consumer market of herbal infusion drinks, Seven Tea One looks to penetrate the halal food and beverage industry to enable more consumers to purchase their products and contribute to their cause.

Inside Seven Tea One’s café, which is also their retail area

About Seven Tea One Sdn Bhd

Established in 2016, Seven Tea One is an impact-driven infusion herbal blend producer founded on the philosophy of “business as a matter of inclusiveness”. The team provides a safe, inclusive and non-discriminatory platform for differently-abled and marginalised communities to learn employment skills and earn dignified income for sustainable living.

Concurrently, they are committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 (gender equality), 8 (decent work & economic growth) and 10 (reduced inequalities). This social enterprise stands with a mission to be a leading fair trade and inclusive producer of Malaysian herbal heritage products in the region.

In 2022, Seven Tea One set up a new production centre to provide a more advanced working environment for higher-functioning disabled teens, where they will earn higher wages. Later in that year, the Company expanded to Segamat, Johor with their new production facility equipped with industrial dehydration and powder grinder equipment. Both these production centres will be geared into a halal-certified production stop.

In mid-2023, Seven Tea One will set up a more spacious vocational training centre in Kapar, Klang in collaboration with a private entity, GoForth Corporation Sdn Bhd, with the aim of impacting more beneficiaries from local communities.

The establishment also owns a two-acre land, where local herbs are planted to supply the botanical drink business. The teenagers with disabilities are trained and involved in the farming of herbal plants. They are given a more comprehensive range of skills to increase their employment prospects.

For more information, go to https://seventeaone.my/ 

Samantha Onn, Manager
PR and Communications 
Berjaya Sompo Insurance Berhad 
H/P: +6018–272 7221
Tel: +603–2170 7000 
Email: hmonn@bsompo.com.my 

Download a copy of the press release here.