World Refugee Day 2022: When Young Refugee Women Become Changemakers

The Azalea Initiative is a 7-month long women’s leadership development programme to empower women from refugee communities here in Malaysia and to provide a safe space for them to express themselves and be heard. A programme started by the non-governmental organisation Akar Umbi back in January this year, we catch up with Wong Chen Li, impact driver with Akar Umbi to find out how the participants have progressed and the start of their second cohort. We’re also joined by Abeera and Fereshta, both of whom are refugees living in Malaysia and participants from the Azalea Initiative’s first cohort, to share their stories and the projects they’re working on.