Robb Report Malaysia celebrates five leading Malaysian ladies who are recasting the world in their vision, driving the agenda in altruism and the professional spheres with verve, determination and hard-earned wisdom. We are honouring them as trailblazers and continuing the series here is Deborah Henry.
Read this story and more. Download your free copy of Robb Report Malaysia April issue here.
Deborah Priya Henry initially struggled with the notion of how she would be judged by labels: “beauty queen = world peace.” But in the intervening years after winning the Miss World 2007 and the Miss Universe 2011 titles, she has come to realise that it’s just a case of “being able and good at using that platform”. This has led to her decade-long work with The Fugees Academy, a non-profit organisation which she founded at the age of 23.
“We have 200 children at our school, and hundreds more in the communities that we work with. Education is the core of what we do, we look at their evolving needs, how we, as an organisation, adapt to the challenges that this refugee community face,” says Henry.
She believes that education is the great agent for emancipation; to support these children to a point where they can take care of themselves. “Charity in the long run is a crutch,” she adds. To maintain momentum, The Fugees Academy runs fundraisers like last year’s SpotLight Gala, and donor drives. Henry also believes that investment in education as well as personal development not just from academic aspects, “makes you a smart person but more than that, it makes you become more compassionate to the plight of the world.”
Her commitment to the causes she supports has been recognised by like-minded individuals. In November last year, Henry moderated The Obama Foundation Leaders: Asia-Pacific Program in Kuala Lumpur with former first lady Michelle Obama and Academy Award-winning actress Julia Roberts onstage.
“I think everyone enjoyed the conversations we had. What I love about Michelle Obama, is that she has lived it. [With her] it’s not just talk. It’s about working hard, and experiencing so much that she talks about,” says Henry.
With her work, Henry says that there are “days when you want to press pause”. She admits that she doesn’t know if she could have continued for so long had she not worked on the ground. “I’m always at the school, talking to the beneficiaries, who we serve, listening to their stories, and that gives me the energy and strength,” she says.
Henry is straight up candid. The theme around which her work revolves essentially is “about people’s lives”. She adds: “This gives me clarity through the noise, of why we do certain things, and why it is important. It’s about getting to a point that I know myself better than anyone else.”
On Deborah Henry: MSGM white suit, Roger Vivier white trainers, Bulgari Save the Children bracelet and one-band ring in sterling silver and black ceramic.
Hairstyling: Keith Ong/ Keith Hair Styling
Makeup: Deirdre Chong
Stylist: Cho Wee Chee
Photography: Micky Wong
