Community champs
Leading up to the Asean Day celebration on Aug 8, Maybank Foundation and Asean Foundation recently welcomed 100 youth volunteers and representatives from 10 civil society organisations (CSOs) and social enterprises (SEs) from across South-East Asia to the Regional Capacity Building Workshop for eMpowering Youths Across Asean (eYAA): Cohort 5, at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.
Held from July 20 to 23, the workshop paired young changemakers aged between 19 and 35 with CSOs and SEs to finalise 10 community-based projects that will soon be implemented in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, the latest country to join the programme.
Building on online learning, the four-day regional gathering served as a crucial space for participants to refine their community projects, learn from experts and alumni, and strengthen their collaboration skills, laying the groundwork for meaningful and lasting impact in the communities they are set to work in.
The projects were designed to reflect local needs and fall under four key focus areas: community building, arts and culture, environmental diversity, and education. Each team will receive up to US$25,000 (RM105,875) in grant support.
The local CSOs and SEs will play a crucial role in ensuring the success of the projects, where over the course of two weeks, the volunteers will live and work alongside local communities, co-developing solutions and building lasting connections that strengthen Asean unity from the ground up.
The projects include the 'Youth EdXchange Programme' by Fly Technology Agriculture Sdn Bhd in Kuching, Sarawak, aimed at empowering youth to drive regional change and promoting green practices; and 'Seri Budaya' by Yayasan Anak-Anak Yatim Wardatul Jannah to uplift underserved youth and promote traditional performing arts in Kota Damansara, Selangor.
When given the right tools to succeed, our youth, said Maybank Group and Maybank Foundation chairman Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, can be a constructive force for development.
'The power of youth lies not only in doing something great but also in uncovering their full potential and courage, enabling them to achieve meaningful things for the future,' he said in his opening remarks.
Asean Foundation executive director Dr Piti Srisangnam said the programme offers a reminder that youth are not just future leaders – they are leading change today.
'Through eYAA, we are taking real steps towards achieving the Asean Community Vision 2045 – a region where youth are at the centre of building a more inclusive, innovative and resilient South-East Asia.'
Since its launch in 2018, the eYAA – a people-centred initiative that directly contributes to the realisation of the Asean Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025, particularly in building a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient Asean community – has empowered 382 youth volunteers, implemented 40 community projects, and positively impacted more than 89,000 individuals across the region.
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