28 September 2015
Lorry driver’s daughter will be sharing the stage with world figures
PETALING JAYA : A 20-year-old student from Rawang, who made history when she became the first Malaysian to study at the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Bangladesh, is making waves again.
She is one of the speakers at a women’s empowerment event at a famous landmark in New York City today. Ashwinii Tamil Chelvan (pic) will speak at the “Sabaya, Sister, Student: Overcoming Vulnerability through Education” forum at the Metro¬politan Museum of Art.
The AUW Support Foundation event is set to discuss the power of education to empower women and combat violence against women.
Social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, who first shared Ashwinii’s tale on her Facebook page, said she was proud of and excited about the girl’s latest achievement.
“She’s promised to send me photos, so will post them when I get them,” Marina said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
Ashwinii, whose father is a lorry driver, will also be sharing the spotlight with several other speakers, including Unesco director-general Irina Bokova, philanthropic adviser Elizabeth McCormack and other AUW students.
Marina first met Ashwinii, the younger of two daughters, in 2013 when the latter successfully sat for the AUW entrance examination and interview. Ashwinii is sponsored by the Maybank Foundation, which offers scholarship to one Malaysian girl annually to study at the AUW for the full duration of five years.
Marina described Ashwinii as being a “very quiet, shy person” then.
“Her parents had many doubts about her leaving home to go to university in Bangladesh but reluctantly came round when I told them about the education Ashwinii would get there.”
“As some of you may know, I’ve been to AUW several times and each time I have returned inspired by the students there,” said Marina in a post in July.
"Two years after leaving to study in AUW, Ashwinii blossomed and now spoke with great confidence about her experience in Chittagong", Marina said.
“Meanwhile, I have to say that I’m personally really proud of Ashwinii. She took that brave step to go to AUW when no one else from Malaysia had ever gone before.”
“I’m hoping that her experience will encourage other young girls to do the same,” she added.
