Ampang Jaya student takes Malaysia’s literacy cause to the world

Mishaalin Deevi Gonnasegeran proudly showing the confirmation of her appointment as Malaysia’s youth ambassador under the World Literacy Foundation. (Terence Toh @ FMT Lifestyle)KUALA LUMPUR: When Mishaalin Deevi Gonnasegeran received confirmation that she had been chosen to represent Malaysia in a global literacy initiative, her first reaction was disbelief.“I was shocked to hear the news. At first, I wasn’t sure I would get it because there was a lot of competition for the role,” the 23-year-old from Ampang Jaya told FMT Lifestyle.“But once I received the certificate, I realised, wow, this is legit - this is really happening.”Mishaalin, a fourth-year psychology student at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), has been selected as Malaysia’s youth ambassador under the World Literacy Foundation’s Youth Literacy Programme.Over the next three months, she will join 900 young people aged 16-25 from 101 countries in community outreach projects at the local and international levels.They will also raise funds for literacy initiatives and advocate for better reading outcomes in their respective regions.According to the World Literacy Foundation, 770 million people worldwide cannot read a single word, while another two billion struggle to read a sentence.

Among low-income households, an average of 72% of children face reading difficulties.Through initiatives such as the Youth Literacy Programme, the foundation hopes to address the long-term social and economic consequences of illiteracy through education, advocacy and collective action.Mishaalin said the programme would begin with six modules introducing participants to the foundation’s background and work. She will then take part in discussions with fellow youth ambassadors to identify solutions to key challenges and develop fundraising initiatives.Through Nyala, Mishaalin and her peers explore active ageing, intergenerational connections and the challenges faced by older adults and their caregivers. (Mishaalin Deevi Gonnasegeran pic)The spirited student has long been passionate about learning and community issues.Next year, she will travel to Fukuoka, Japan, to study mental health issues among senior citizens through Nyala - short for Nurturing Youth Advocacy, Learning & Ambition - a university-led project in which she is involved.Nyala grew out of Mishaalin’s increasing awareness of the challenges faced by an age…