PETALING JAYA: In conjunction with Asean Day recently, Maybank Foundation, the social impact arm of Maybank Group, and the Asean Foundation renewed their partnership for the eMpowering Youths Across Asean (eYAA) programme for five years, reaffirming their shared commitment to empowering young people to lead sustainable and inclusive development across the region.
The renewed five-year commitment until 2030 will enable Maybank Foundation and the Asean Foundation to deepen the programme’s regional impact, supporting the long-term objectives of the Asean Socio-Cultural Community Strategic Plan 2045, while contributing to Maybank’s ROAR30 strategy of “Impacting Society Positively” by enabling the wellbeing of all, with a goal of reaching 2.5 million beneficiaries by 2030.
Maybank group chief sustainability officer Datuk Shahril Azuar Jimin said, “eYAA has shown us the remarkable potential of Asean youths to go beyond volunteering for meaningful community transformation across the region. This reflects Maybank’s ROAR30, our five-year corporate strategy focused on purpose-driven growth, creating value beyond banking, and delivering positive impact to society. As Asean advances its Community Vision 2045, we are honoured to extend our partnership with the Asean Foundation for another five years and look forward to empowering more young changemakers to help build a stronger, more inclusive Asean.”
Asean Foundation executive director Dr Piti Srisangnam said they believe that Asean Community-building begins with its people, particularly its youths and the renewal of their partnership with Maybank Foundation reflects their shared conviction that empowering youths through volunteerism, collaboration, and intercultural exchange is essential to building a stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive Asean.
Since its inception, eYAA has grown into one of the region’s flagship youth volunteerism programmes, mobilising 482 youth volunteers to implement 50 community projects, benefiting more than 114,465 people across Asean. Working alongside local civil society organisations and social enterprises, youth volunteers have co-created practical, community-led solutions addressing climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, education, waste management, cultural heritage preservation, women’s economic empowerment and other pressing development challenges.
Beyond delivering tangible community impact, eYAA has strengthened people-to-people connectivity by bringing together youths from diverse backgrounds to live, learn and volunteer across borders. Through these immersive experiences, participants develop leadership, empathy, intercultural under-standing, and a stronger sense of shared Asean identity – qualities essential for building a more inclusive, resilient, and people-centred Asean.
As eYAA enters its next phase, the programme continues to evolve to reflect Asean’s changing landscape. In 2026, Laos joined the programme as an implementing country for the first time, while Timor-Leste’s accession as Asean’s 11th Member State enabled eYAA to expand from 100 to 110 youth volunteers, strengthening regional inclusivity.
Among the initiatives implemented under eYAA: Cohort 6 are projects supporting sustainable livelihoods through community-based agritourism in Laos, empowering educators in Malaysia to integrate sustainability into classroom learning through the Asean Guru Innovation Challenge and advancing circular economy practices in Thailand by improving plastic waste management through community partnerships.
The renewed partnership will also strengthen eYAA’s long-term sustainability through initiatives that continue supporting youth volunteers beyond their placement period.
The Alumni as Mentors Programme enables former youth volunteers to mentor new cohorts through peer guidance and cultural orientation, while the Alumni Accelerator Programme provides grants of up to US$2,500 to support alumni-led community initiatives that generate lasting local impact.