How Kirana came to be
Kirana began in 2019 when Liyana, one of our founders, found herself managing her grandmother's daily household needs from a flat on the other side of Kota Kinabalu. There were plenty of services for urgent matters, but very little for the steady, ordinary days — the afternoons that could feel long and quiet for an older person living alone.
Together with two colleagues who had noticed the same gap in different parts of their own families, Liyana shaped a small, practical arrangement service. The name Kirana comes from a word meaning gentle brightness — the kind of feeling a familiar visitor brings to a quiet home.
Today Kirana works with families across Kota Kinabalu and the wider Sabah region. Our focus has not changed: steady routines, honest communication, and a calm approach that respects the household's own way of doing things.
What we are here to do
Kirana exists to make ordinary days feel less solitary for older relatives, and to make household coordination less overwhelming for the families responsible for them. We do not replace family — we give families more room to breathe.
Gentle, non-intrusive presence
We work around the household's habits, not the other way around.
Honest, straightforward updates
Families receive short written notes — no jargon, no padding, just useful information.
Long-term, consistent relationships
We aim to send the same companion regularly — consistency matters to older people.
A small, experienced team
We keep our team compact so that families always know who to speak with and companions can maintain the routines families rely on.
Liyana Rashid
Co-founder & Coordinator
Liyana manages companion matching and family liaison across all active arrangements. She has spent six years working with household and community support services in Sabah.
Daniel Lim
Co-founder & Technology Lead
Daniel leads all technology connection sessions and trains companions to explain devices patiently. He holds a background in community education and adult learning in East Malaysia.
Nadia Jamil
Family Coordination Specialist
Nadia builds and maintains the written support plans and family timelines at the heart of our coordination service. Families describe her as thorough, calm, and easy to reach.
Standards we hold ourselves to
Careful Companion Vetting
Every companion goes through a structured reference process before their first visit. We look for reliability, patience, and genuine warmth — qualities that show up in real conversations, not just on paper.
Written Visit Records
After each visit, companions complete a brief structured note. Families receive a copy. Nothing is left to memory or word of mouth — there is always a written record the household can refer back to.
Household Privacy
Information about the household is shared only with the people directly involved in arranging the service. We do not discuss clients with outside parties, and personal details are stored securely.
Regular Service Reviews
We schedule a short check-in with the family after the first month, and again at three months. If something is not working, we want to hear it early and adjust accordingly.
Companion Orientation
Before beginning with a new household, companions receive a written briefing covering the relative's routines, preferences, and anything the family wants to highlight. First visits are never cold.
Direct Access to Coordinators
Families can reach our coordinators directly by phone or email during office hours. Questions are answered by the person who knows the arrangement, not a general inbox.
A service shaped around real households in Kota Kinabalu
Older people in Kota Kinabalu and the wider Sabah region have varied daily patterns. Some prefer early morning conversation over coffee; others are most settled in the afternoon. Families have their own rhythms too — working hours, school runs, distances across the city. Kirana's arrangements are shaped around all of this, not around a fixed template.
The Jalan Gaya area has been central to community life in Kota Kinabalu for generations. Our office sits close to established neighbourhoods where many of our families live, and our companions are drawn from the same wider community. Shared familiarity — knowing the streets, the local markets, the natural rhythm of the area — is part of what makes visits feel settled rather than formal.
We work with families who are managing multiple responsibilities, and we make a point of reducing rather than adding to the information they need to handle. A short written note after each visit, a clear support plan, a curated list of local contacts — these small, practical outputs make a real difference when a family is already stretched.
Kirana does not offer regulated professional services of any kind. What we arrange is companionship, household information, and family coordination — steady, reliable, and carried out with attention to the particular household we are working with.
Ready to talk about what would help your household?
We are happy to answer questions before you make any decisions. A short conversation is the best place to start.
Start a Conversation