Empowering young girls to become leaders

The Sun

15-07-2025

MANY young girls sometimes feel it is not their right to speak up, when they face problems at school or at home.
They remain passive and accept bullying and harassment in their schools and in some cases, domestic violence at home.
This can cause mental health problems when they reach adulthood. The RYTHM (raise yourself to help mankind) foundation under the chairmanship of Datin Seri Umayal Eswaran decided to reach out to schools with the 'Maharani' schools programme (MSP), a movement aimed at fostering confidence and high self-esteem. At the same time, it lays a foundation for young girls to achieve their true potential.
Umayal's pivotal moment came when she saw first-hand the devastation brought about by the 2004 tsunami. And that was the beginning of many initiatives to provide assistance. To structure the initiatives, RYTHM was born in 2005.
'My personal calling towards advocacy was shaped by the community I grew up with, in Sri Lanka. My parents and then my in-laws as well valued generosity of spirit and this sparked my lifelong dedication to social and humanitarian issues, especially directed to the more vulnerable groups in society, women, children and those with disabilities,' she said.
'Maharani' programme
Why the term 'Maharani' for the project?, which when literally translated means princess. Umayal explained that her long term vision was to build a generation of strong, self-aware women, who knew their value in this world and were willing to be empowered towards their goals.
'I want them to be treated in a manner that would allow them to dream beyond their circumstances,' said Umayal, adding that many young girls are born into poverty and hardship, but this programme is designed to motivate them to go further.
The 'Maharani' programme launched in 2010 was first conceived as a simple series of workshops for adolescent girls in marginalised communities but today has grown and impacted over 8,000 girls, and set many milestones along the way.
She shared that her journey was not an easy one, as she faced many challenges along the way. In 2015 RYTHM opened the 'Maharani' Learning Lab (MLL) in Sungai Siput, Perak.
Due to the difficulty of monitoring the progress of students due to distance, the decision was made to move the MLL to Damansara Damai, in Petaling Jaya.
Evolution to the 'Maharani' School Programme (MSP)
Today the programme has evolved due to constant contact with the community and their feedback, where the target is now adolescent girls, aged 13-17 years, from B-40 communities across Malaysia.
'My aim is for the MSP to be a recognised educational model - one that complements the formal school system by nurturing character, confidence and conscience.
'In the long term, the MSP must transform the young minds of girls to become mentors, change-makers and finally leaders in their own communities, breaking cycles of poverty, discrimination and silence.
'In this way, the programme will leave an indelible print for long term change – not only for the girls but for their families, communities and the nation,' said Umayal.
The first cohort of the MSP was launched in Selangor in 2022, in four schools, SMK Batu Unjur, Port Klang, SMK Gombak Setia, Gombak, SMK Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Port Klang and SMK Idris Shah, Kapar. The second cohort covered 4 schools in Negeri Sembilan, SMK Dato Klana Putra, SMK Mantin, SMK Sendayan and SMK Puteri.
'The programme structure covers four phases, the first being one of self-discovery where the student is encouraged to look within, the second requires an understanding of humans and their link to the environment, where activities are planned outdoors, the third phase covers leadership and effective communication and lastly academic success and the management of stress,' added Umayal, who said that the four phases were the building blocks of the MSP.
Success story
Siti Nur Syazwina Ramli, 16 years studied at SMK Dato' Shahardin in Negeri Sembilan. She was generally a quiet, reserved student, who kept to herself but was successfully selected for the MSP. She admitted her self-confidence grew over time in MSP.
Her achievements were recognised. Siti was duly appointed assistant discipline prefect, and made history as the only female student selected from among three states for the prestigious 'Tabung Haji Young Leadership Programme'.
'MSP is more than a programme, it is a movement. When we uplift one girl, we empower an entire community,' said Umayal.