After two months of planning and discussion, and after having roped in several trustworthy friends who shared his passion, Azman’s dream became a reality when he launched Malayan Youth Nation (MYN) last month.

The non-profit organisation aims to inspire and empower youths to give back to society. Its board currently comprises 33 individuals – students from various universities and disciplines, including Malaysians overseas – who juggle their studies and social lives with the responsibility of helping those in need.

“I believe we should be playing a part to help the needy during these hard times,” says Azman, who is also MYN president. “We see homeless people on the streets and want to be able to help.”

The group launched its first project on July 29, after collecting over 500 food packs that were sponsored by six restaurants. These were distributed to three orphanages, as well as the Desa Mentari People’s Housing Project and the Bukit Jelutong police station.

As they had not expected to receive so much food, the youths wound up with about 50 extra packets. Driving around Kuala Lumpur, they noticed many homeless people on the streets and immediately knew what they had to do.

“It was an impromptu plan. We decided to go to Chow Kit and distribute the food to the homeless there,” shares 20-year-old Sunil Dev Singh, who oversees MYN’s youth development strategy and programme planning.

This inaugural project was a success – not only were they able to help the less fortunate, they were also able to inspire other young individuals.

“We had people messaging us, saying they wanted to sign up. Altogether we gained 20 new members after our first project,” Sunil says.

For their second project that kicks off this week, the youths are seeking donations of old or unwanted clothing, and are broadening their reach to cover donations from four different states over eight days.

“We want to give something to the needy that will last for more than just one day,” Azman explains.

The clothing will be sent for cleaning before being distributed to the homeless from Aug 21-27.

Sunil says while MYN’s members are young, the quote “alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” by Helen Keller inspires them to look forward and take on more challenging projects.

They hope that by sharing their work on social media, they will empower other youths to give back to society however they can. To that end, MYN is actively looking for new members between the ages of 18 and 24, regardless of their location.

In the meantime, even while the clothing drive is underway, “we hope to keep giving food to those in need and do as much as we can to help them”, Azman says.

“There are so many people who need help. We may be playing just a small part, but every contribution counts.”

Details for MYN’s clothing drive:

• Kuala Lumpur
Contact: Yao Shan (019-6756511) or Keischmman (018-3551400)
Aug 12, 13 and 16 from 1-4pm
Whats On Tap @ Plaza Mont Kiara

• Seremban
Contact: Akhilesh (012-6080056)
Aug 12-19
Pickup from donors’ locations

• Ipoh
Contact: Stephanie: (017-9310299) or Leena (012-5508499)
Aug 12-19
Pickup from donors’ locations

• Penang
Contact: Cassandra (017-4361908)
Aug 15-17
Pickup from donors’ locations

To find out more about Malayan Youth Nation, including how you can join, contact them via Instagram.