A past kind deed inspired this Malaysian to start an NGO to pay it forward

Pakyalakhmi believes that helping uplift her community is what she is meant to be doing. — Photo K.S. PAKYALAKSHMI

The kindness of an acquaintance who helped her when she was a student left an indelible mark on K.S Pakyalakshmi and led to her starting a non-governmental organisation to empower women and the underprivileged in her community.

After she lost her father at 16 years old, life was a struggle for Pakyalakshmi, her mother and three sisters. And even though her mother worked hard to make ends meet, it wasn’t easy.