Malaysian humanitarian and activist honoured to be able to highlight work with refugee community at inaugural Leaders: Asia-Pacific event by Obama Foundation

Michelle Obama, Julia Roberts and Deborah Henry. On the face of things, these three women have not much in common. The first is a former First Lady of the United States, the second is an award-winning internationally-recognised actor and the last is a former beauty queen turned socialpreneur/activist.

All three are strong, intelligent individuals with big hearts. And, more importantly, all fight for the empowerment of young leaders, among other causes, using their standings as tools to further the issue.

So, there were no surprises when Deborah was asked to moderate a plenary session at the Obama Foundation’s inaugural Leaders: Asia-Pacific event here in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (12 December), featuring Michelle Obama and Julia Roberts.

Henry devotes a substantial amount of time to a host of humanitarian issues and co-founded Fugee School, dedicated to educating young refugees here in Malaysia. She also launched Fugeelah, a lifestyle accessories brand dedicated to keeping education at Fugee School free for the refugee children.

The overarching organisation, Fugee, is a holistic umbrella giving young refugees and asylum seekers a full degree of agency and autonomy to thrive, not just survive.

“The fact that the Obama Foundation chose Malaysia for its inaugural Leaders: Asia-Pacific event is an honour and a recognition of the things we have done, the progress we have made. It really shows what we as a country have done has made us look good in the eyes of global humanitarian causes.

“And, to be asked to moderate a session with the likes of Michelle Obama and Julia Roberts is a recognition of the work Fugee does with a community that is basically shunned and in need of a voice. It was a great opportunity to talk about issues that really matter,” said Henry.

At the plenary session, Henry moderated with questions sourced from the 200 young leaders from 33 countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific who attended the session.

Henry had asked Obama and Roberts to reflect on their recent trip to Vietnam with the Girls Opportunity Alliance—and share stories from their own journeys in leadership.

Prior to the event, Obama and Roberts travelled to Vietnam on behalf of the Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance to meet with local girls education organisations and beneficiaries of the programmes that help adolescent girls reach their full potential through education.

“Their trip to Vietnam and in particular the Obama Foundation’s work in its Girls Opportunity Alliance is especially something I was interested in as, to me, education is of paramount importance and something I truly believe in.”

“As far as educational value is concerned, the Leaders: Asia-Pacific Program will help showcase the amazing things happening here in Malaysia. Young people are standing up and doing what’s right in terms of helping marginalised communities and the Obama Foundation wants to give them a global network to do so,” said Henry.

Apart from Fugee School, which has to date helped some 500 refugees children, Henry is also a child rights advocate for World Vision, a relief, development and advocacy organisation. For World Vision, she has traveled to Lebanon and worked at a Syrian refugee settlement.

In 2013, Henry was included in Forbes’s list of top Asian philanthropists for her contribution in helping many refugees who had found their way to Malaysia.