It is with great pride that we introduce to you the first two recipients of our scholarship awards for higher education- Azila and Adiba!

Nurul Azila Syafri lives in Petaling Jaya with her father, mother, and elder sister. Her father, who works as a taxi driver, is the family’s sole breadwinner. Almost half of his income goes on paying the lease on his cab, meaning that he supports the entire family on a monthly take home income of around £350 – £480 (between RM1,800 and RM2,500).

Azila has been with the Harinder Veriah Trust for 7 years, since she was accepted as one of our recipients in 2011, when she was in the primary school. During that time, she has grown from a shy and reserved young girl into a confident and ambitious young woman, determined to work hard and give herself the very best start in life. The Trust has been with her every step of the way, helping to pay for her school meals, uniform, classroom supplies, and tuition. Through sheer determination and hard work, she has excelled in her studies, gaining her SPM certificate (the Malaysian equivalent of O levels/GCSEs) and graduating with commendable improvement in her academic performance.

Azila has just been offered a place at a local college, the Kolej Poly-Tech Mara in Kota Bahru Kelantan, to study Business Management. Our scholarship will support her through two years of study, helping her to obtain a diploma in Business Management and blaze a trail for women everywhere!

Azila says she wants to continue to work with the Trust beyond her further study – mentoring girls in the lower years to excel in their academic endeavours and realise their highest ambitions.

Nuraina Adiba Roaizad lives with her parents and two older siblings. Her parents have no steady source of income – her father is a retired electrician and her mother a homemaker. Though her elder brother brings in some money from his job as a restaurant kitchen assistant, the family depend on welfare contributions in order to make ends meet.

Adiba has been with the Harinder Veriah Trust for almost 10 years, since being accepted whilst in the primary school in 2009. A quiet girl, she has nonetheless applied herself throughout her schooling to achieve exemplary grades, obtaining her SPM certificate (the Malaysian equivalent of O levels/GCSEs) in 2017.

Adiba has just been accepted for a place on a Diploma programme in Management at the University Malaya Further Education Centre in Kuala Lumpur. She hopes to use her qualification to forge a career in the finance industry – shattering glass ceilings and earning a great living for herself and her family in the process.

Owing to her family circumstances, our scholarship means the difference between her going to University and not. Her parents have already started borrowing money from friends and family to fund her diploma – our scholarship lightens this burden and realises their dream of seeing their daughter become the first in their family to enter higher education.

Like Azila, Adiba wishes to continue working with the Trust, helping to mentor and motivate her juniors to follow her shining example.

The Trust is determined to provide scholarships every year to high-achieving girls to attend reputable institutions of higher education in Malaysia. This has been made possible by the generous support of our donors and supporters over the years. To help us to continue awarding scholarships and growing our programme, please consider making a donation or becoming a monthly sponsor of the Trust.