For many persons with disabilities (PWDs), financial independence is a distant goal due to limited job opportunities, societal stigma, and economic challenges. However, programs like Maybank R.I.S.E. are proving that PWD entrepreneurs can build successful and sustainable businesses with the right financial literacy, business skills, and mentorship.
Phanxay Xayyatery from Sanamxay, Attapeu, Laos, is one such entrepreneur. Losing her right leg to disease at 12, she was forced to drop out of school, taking on physically demanding jobs to survive. Despite her efforts, financial security remained out of reach—she had multiple income sources but struggled to save and grow her business.
Everything changed when she joined Maybank R.I.S.E.. With practical training in financial management and business planning, she turned her tailoring, grocery, and cassava farming business into a financially stable and thriving enterprise.
This is how she redefined her future.
Navigating Hardships: A Fight for Stability
Born in Mitsamphan village, Sanamxay district, Phanxay’s life took a drastic turn when she lost her right leg to disease at just 12 years old. The condition forced her to drop out of school, cutting short her education and limiting her career prospects.
Her early years were marked by constant financial struggles. She worked as a farm laborer, enduring long hours of physical work despite her disability. Later, in 2019, she got an opportunity to train in tailoring, which provided her with a sewing machine to start her own business.
However, even with multiple income sources—including selling confectionery and assisting her husband with cassava farming—she was unable to build financial stability.
📌 Her main challenges:
🔸 Lack of financial planning – No savings, as all her earnings went toward family and business expenses.
🔸 Unstable income – While she had a business, she lacked the strategies to scale and sustain it.
🔸 No financial buffer – She was constantly worried about emergency expenses, medical needs, and her children’s education.
She knew she needed a change but didn’t know how to achieve it.
A Turning Point: Learning to Take Control of Her Finances
Phanxay’s breakthrough moment came when she joined Maybank R.I.S.E., an initiative by @MaybankFoundation that equips PWD entrepreneurs with the skills to build and sustain businesses.
One of the most valuable lessons Phanxay learned was from the Financial Management Module, which completely shifted her approach to money.
✔ Understanding spending habits – She realized that she was using all her income for immediate needs without setting anything aside for the future.
✔ The importance of savings – She learned how to set financial goals and build a buffer for emergencies.
✔ Tracking income and expenses – She started budgeting properly, ensuring that her earnings were allocated wisely.
These lessons empowered her to take control—for the first time, she could plan for the future instead of just surviving day to day.
Achieving Growth: Transforming Her Business and Finances
By applying the lessons from Maybank R.I.S.E., Phanxay’s financial situation improved dramatically.
📈 In just six months, she increased her income by 466%—from LAK 1,500,000 (USD 71) to LAK 8,500,000 (USD 404) per month.
Her financial success allowed her to:
✅ Build personal savings – She now saves 20,000 LAK per day, accumulating 500,000 LAK per month to secure her future.
✅ Provide better living conditions – She can afford nutritious food, pay for her children’s education, and cover medical costs.
✅ Support her family – She helps her parents with electricity bills and daily expenses, ensuring they have a stable life.
This wasn’t just an improvement in income—it was a complete transformation in her financial mindset and stability.
More Than Just Income: Creating a Ripple Effect in Her Community
For Phanxay, success isn’t just about earning more—it’s about lifting others up along the way.
💡 Financial independence has given her the confidence to make better decisions for herself and her family. She no longer feels limited by her disability but instead sees herself as a leader in her community.
🌱 Her business is growing sustainably, creating stability for her household while also benefiting others.
👩👧👦 Her children now have access to better education, breaking the cycle of financial struggle for the next generation.
Her journey demonstrates how empowering one person can create long-term change for families and communities.
A Testament to the Impact of Maybank R.I.S.E.
Phanxay’s story is just one of many that show how Maybank R.I.S.E. is helping PWD entrepreneurs across ASEAN.
Through financial literacy training, entrepreneurship coaching, and mentorship, the program has helped thousands of PWD business owners in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Laos build sustainable livelihoods.
🔹 PWD entrepreneurs are gaining the tools to grow their businesses and secure financial stability.
🔹 Financial empowerment is creating long-term economic resilience in communities.
🔹 Inclusive entrepreneurship is breaking barriers, proving that disability is not a limitation.
By equipping PWDs with the right skills, Maybank R.I.S.E. is driving meaningful, long-term change across the region.
Redefining Success: Building a Sustainable Future
For Phanxay, success is no longer about just getting by—it’s about thriving, planning ahead, and building a legacy for her family.
💡 Her story is proof that when PWD entrepreneurs have access to the right knowledge and support, they don’t just survive—they create lasting impact.
Through Maybank R.I.S.E., she turned her financial struggles into financial independence—a transformation that will shape her family’s future for years to come.
Be Part of the Change
🚀 Discover more inspiring success stories like Phanxay’s and see how financial empowerment is transforming lives through entrepreneurship.
🔗 Visit the Maybank Foundation website to explore the impact of Maybank R.I.S.E here.
🔗 Learn more about People Systems Consultancy (PSC) and how entrepreneurship can build sustainable communities here