Recipient of the AFLAME Student Award 2026, Syaarveeni Ashok, transformed her own experiences of educational hardship into a lifelong commitment to serving underserved communities. As co-founder of The EduLab, she has empowered more than 850 B40 children through literacy and educational outreach initiatives, including the interactive grammar card game ZING!

• Recipient of the AFLAME Student Award 2026
• Co-founder of The EduLab, a student-led social enterprise
• Developed ZING!, an interactive grammar card game for underserved children
• Conducted more than 30 educational workshops nationwide

• Benefited over 850 B40 children across Malaysia
• Active contributor to IMU Cares community outreach initiatives
• Donated the RM5,000 AFLAME Student Award prize to support The EduLab Dream Academy

The name “Aflame” symbolises a fiery passion for doing good for humanity. Driven by IMU Cares since 2012, the AFLAME Student Award has recognised graduating IMU students who demonstrate exceptional empathy, leadership, and dedication in serving communities beyond their academic pursuits – a spirit that this year’s recipient, Syaarveeni Ashok, has consistently embodied throughout her journey as a medical student.

Syaarveeni’s passion for service was deeply shaped by her own life experiences after nearly having to discontinue her education at the age of 15 due to financial difficulties. Inspired by the support and encouragement she received from her teachers during that challenging period, she became determined to create opportunities for underserved children through education and community outreach initiatives.

For Syaarveeni, community service was never simply an extracurricular activity.

“Community service wasn’t a choice I made, it was a response to something I couldn’t unsee,” she reflected.

The support she once received became the driving force behind her commitment towards educational empowerment and community engagement. Believing that every child deserves access to education and opportunities to succeed, she co-founded The EduLab, a student-led social enterprise focused on literacy and learning initiatives for underserved children.

One of her most impactful initiatives was the development of ZING! an interactive grammar card game designed to make English learning more engaging and accessible for children from underserved backgrounds. Through more than 30 workshops conducted nationwide, the initiative has benefited over 850 B40 children across Malaysia.

Throughout her journey, Syaarveeni worked closely with schools, orphanages, and community organisations to create sustainable educational support systems for students in need. Her work extended beyond teaching literacy skills – it focused on

• Building confidence
• Nurturing curiosity
• Creating safe spaces where children could learn and grow

Reflecting on her experience with IMU Cares, Syaarveeni shared that the platform gave her the opportunity to transform ideas into meaningful community initiatives while working alongside volunteers, schools, and underserved communities.

“Being part of IMU Cares showed me what it looks like when an institution genuinely believes students can drive change, not just participate in it,” she shared.

Beyond educational outreach, Syaarveeni was also actively involved in initiatives that combined health and education, including community programmes at Kampung Sebir and collaborations with various welfare organisations. These experiences further reinforced her belief that meaningful impact requires consistency, empathy, and long-term commitment towards the communities being served.

Balancing medical school with community work, however, was not without challenges.

Building a social enterprise as a full-time medical student required her to constantly

• Seek funding opportunities
• Pitch ideas to potential supporters
• Persevere through repeated rejections

At the same time, she navigated demanding clinical rotations, examinations, and programme responsibilities while ensuring that the initiatives she created remained sustainable beyond her own involvement.

Despite the pressures, she remained grounded by remembering the reason she started.

“The motivation doesn’t require management when the purpose is clear,” she said.

Looking ahead, Syaarveeni hopes to continue expanding educational access and digital literacy opportunities for underserved communities through initiatives such as the Sai Pandian Orphanage Digital Literacy Programme and the continued growth of The EduLab’s outreach efforts. More importantly, she hopes to create systems that allow others to continue the work long after she graduates.

“The goal was never to build something that needs me. The goal is a model that any motivated student can pick up and run.”

Reflecting this commitment towards sustaining community impact, Syaarveeni nominated The EduLab Dream Academy as the beneficiary of the RM5,000 AFLAME Student Award prize money to support its ongoing educational programmes for underserved children.

Beyond medical school, Syaarveeni carries with her not only academic excellence, but also the values of:

• Empathy
• Service
• Social responsibility

Her story serves as a powerful reminder that even life’s greatest challenges can become the spark that inspires meaningful change for others.