Malaysian social entrepreneur receives Commonwealth Points of Light award

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian social entrepreneur Anja Juliah Abu Bakar has received the Commonwealth Points of Light Award in recognition of her voluntarism and service in educating girls in rural communities about menstrual health.

The certificate signed by the late Queen Elizabeth II before her passing was presented by British High Commissioner Charles Hay on Thursday.

Through her research, Anja discovered that thousands of Malaysian girls in rural communities in the country were missing school an average of 60 days a year due to lack of feminine hygiene products and knowledge about menstrual hygiene.

She said she felt the need to embark on a quest to address the problem through the participation of her social enterprise called Athen Holdings to educate the girls in rural communities on menstruation and provide reusable sanitary pads to ensure that they get to continue with their studies.

“This award came as an absolute surprise to me. I am deeply humbled and honoured. This journey has never been about me at all.

“Exactly 10 years ago, I started teaching girls in rural Borneo about menstruation and sponsoring reusable sanitary pads to them.

"As a result, the girls did not have to be absent from school. Education is their pathway to a better life,” she told a press conference after receiving the award at Hay's residence, here.

Commending Anja's effort, Hay said she has helped ensure girls remain in schools and get the basic education that they need.

“I would also like to commend Anja Juliah for empowering young women through her coaching and mentoring work.

"I hope Anja Juliah’s work will inspire other social entrepreneurs to make a difference in their respective communities,” he said.

The Commonwealth Points of Light award programme was launched in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2018 when the UK chaired the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Following the success of the programme, the late Queen Elizabeth II, as Head of the Commonwealth, chose to extend it beyond 2018 to recognise good actions and highlight stories of community service.