A HEARTWARMING TALE

As a young girl, Apshy Vimal’s imaginary kingdom was filled with storybooks. Her mother would often extol the virtues of reading, guiding her children to discover that each tome was a doorway to a new and wondrous adventure. From exploring the branches of the MagicFarawayTree to wandering the halls of Hogwarts, Apshy was engrossed in the joys of the written word. Grown into an empathetic young woman, she is determined to share the magic that shaped her character by creating libraries for underprivileged children through a project known as The Book Effect. The project is one of many charitable campaigns by Friends to Mankind, an international non-profit organisation headquartered in Canada and founded by Apshy’s altruistic father Dhyan Vimal. The organisation works with individuals, corporations and humanitarian societies towards the betterment of humanity.

Apshy has served as the organisation’s youth ambassador for the last eight years and is currently the project lead for The Book Effect. This year-long initiative began in August 2019, intending to gather 10,000 books, driven to inculcate the spirit of reading. Exceeding expectations, the venture has since raised nearly 50,000 books and built 10 libraries for children in need.

As UNESCO names Kuala Lumpur as the World Book Capital 2020, this young philanthropist believes projects like The Book Effect will aid the community in recognising the importance of reading and hopes to

engage more volunteers on this mission to make books more accessible. “It has been proven repeatedly that reading is beneficial to brain development. In this era, literacy and fluency in English are vital skills to have, and books play a key role in sharpening these abilities. Reading has also been shown to improve focus and imagination,” Apshy asserts.

In addition to the benefits that reading can have on the cognitive skills of children, Apshy attests to books being life-changing. Exposure to The Handmaid’sTale by Margaret Atwood in her late teens was a thoughtprovoking experience that left a deep impression on her. “It taught me that it is important to remember the good things in life despite it sometimes being very difficult. It reminds me to always have to hope.” It is experiences like these – inspiring optimism, wonder and a yearning for lifelong learning and self-improvement – that she hopes to share with others. “I think there is a lot of joy that can be found in reading, and I believe that all children should have the opportunity to experience that,” she says.

When asked about inspirational moments from the project, Apshy says there have been so many experiences that have touched her heart. Visiting orphanages, refugee schools and low-income housing neighbourhoods, she was surprised by the excitement of these children to engage with books. “You never really know if they’re going to be interested, would they prefer a TV or some games, but to see the genuine happiness and smiles on their faces – it reminds all of us why we do this,” she says.

The Book Effect is not Apshy’s first foray into charitable projects. At the tender age of 15, she and her sister, Aishy Vimal, organised flash mobs to raise awareness about the issue of child marriage of girls living in poverty. Their efforts raised RM10,000 for the cause, with a later project raising RM100,000 for Girl Effect and other local organisations. A graduate of international humanitarian affairs and sociology at Fordham University, New York City, she returned to Malaysia after graduating to pursue a career in social responsibility. When not occupied with her full-time work, Apshy enjoys dancing and running her bespoke bakery Cake & Bake.

It seems not even a pandemic can slow down the work of this dedicated philanthropist as Apshy plans to adapt to the situation and provide resources that are accessible in this trying time. “We understand that we have to review our practices so that we can do the work we set out to do but in a way that puts health and safety at the forefront,” she says. Friends to Mankind hopes to provide resources that children can access while in self-isolation, possibly through video calls or pre-recorded content to keep kids engaged and excited about reading.

“We are very enthusiastic for the next chapter of our project,” Apshy says. “There are so many children out there who want to read, but sadly due to circumstances are not able to.” As she has witnessed, the problem is not due to a lack of interest from the children, rather a lack of access to books. “If you want to join us, we are more than happy to have you on board. We always need more books and volunteers to help with our mission, spreading the love and joy of reading to children, one library at a time.”

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