Alice is a preschool and special needs teacher with a secondary school certificate only. It may sound like she is an inexperienced teacher, but Alice has spent the past 12 years teaching at an alternative learning centre located in a suburb 20 minutes from the city centre. Although the centre recognises her potential and passion for teaching and encourages her to attend teacher training workshops to develop her pedagogical skills, none of these workshops can provide Alice with a valid qualification nor certify her 12 years of teaching experience.
Why doesn’t Alice enroll in a local university to obtain her teacher education qualification? 

Alice and her family fled their village in Pakistan to escape an ongoing persecution against them and sought refuge in Malaysia, 16 years ago. Consequently, she does not have access to basic rights such as the right to healthcare, work and education in Malaysia. Nonetheless, the centre provided her with a paid volunteer teaching position opportunity which allows her to provide financial support to her family. 

Alice has first-hand experience in being denied the opportunity to further her education which motivates her to ensure that the children from displaced communities in Malaysia, have access to education albeit informal. 

Alice’s story is not unique.

Of the 11 centres YTL Foundation supports, about 80% of their teachers do not have a teaching qualification nor the right pedagogical skills to teach and have limited professional development opportunities. Not only that, these centres are overwhelmed with hundreds of students who have a multitude of learning and psychosocial needs, a limited number of qualified teachers and a shortage of funds. Many of these centres have a make-shift setup in shop lots and faith-based spaces amidst the hustle and bustle of cities like Kuala Lumpur. Owing to the limited space, some centres have separate morning and afternoon sessions to ensure that as many students as possible can learn. It also allows the centres to maintain a healthy student: teacher ratio, where possible but it means teachers are continuously in classes teaching with limited time to perform other teacher-related responsibilities or participate in professional development workshops.

Moved by these teachers’ desire to create a better learning environment for children from displaced communities in Malaysia, we co-developed the Teachers for Educational Equity Initiative with the University of Birmingham. Together, we are committed to provide world-class quality initial and ongoing professional development to passionate, experienced but unqualified educators serving in high-need national schools and alternative learning centres in Malaysia.

From October 2022 to March 2023, we consulted with alternative learning centres in the Klang Valley, Teach for Malaysia and UNHCR to understand the challenges experienced by teachers and discuss the development of localised teacher education programmes. Following these consultations, we launched our first hybrid programme; the Postgraduate Certificate in International Education (Malaysia) in mid-2023.

On August 25, 2023, Alice and 68 other teachers gathered at Dignity for Children Foundation for two full-days of learning with the University’s fly-in faculty. The weekend marked the beginning of their 11-month journey to becoming qualified teachers.

On a bright morning in August 2023, a group of YTL Foundation Scholars from the 2023 Cohort gathered at Menara YTL to embark on the long-awaited Induction Day, which commenced with a workshop and ended with a memorable Induction Ceremony. The workshop, titled 'Understanding the 5C's' (communication, creativity, critical thinking, community and collaboration), served as an introduction to these core values and the ethos of YTL Foundation.

The scholars honed essential skills like delivering an elevator pitch and dug into the world of creative brainstorming using the SCAMPER tool. A creative exercise challenged them to reimagine the classic childhood snack M&M's, resulting in imaginative ideas such as transforming them into vitamins or creating edible packaging. The scholars were also given some time to reflect as a group on their growth as a cohort, identify opportunities, and discuss ways to support each other.

Subsequently, the scholars, accompanied by their parents, Board of Trustees, and distinguished guests, including Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min and Tan Sri Abu Hassan Othman, gathered for the lively Induction Ceremony. This significant moment was also shared by YTL Foundation Programme Director Dato’ Kathleen Chew, current scholars and alumni, marking the beginning of an exciting journey for the Scholar Cohort of 2023.

Get to know the 2023 YTL Scholar Cohort https://ytlfoundation.org/scholar-cohort/

In early September, Yellow House, a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of marginalised groups, launched a fundraising event at their premise located in Ampang. The event was attended by the Founder and President of Yellow House, Ms. Shyam Priah, and YTL Foundation Programme Director Dato’ Kathleen Chew, alongside Yellow House partners, friends, and members of the media.

The air was filled with anticipation as Shyam began the event by sharing details about Yellow House’s partnership with YTL Foundation and YTL Construction. In her address, she spoke about the potential for scaling up and launching new projects in the renovated space, an opportunity that the current premises could not accommodate. Dato’ Kathleen shared how a series of events led to the collaboration with Yellow House.
Following a simple officiation of the campaign, guests embarked on a tour of the house to observe its existing state before the renovation commences, all while indulging in refreshments prepared by Shyam and her team.

YTL Construction, the Design and Construction partner, brought an innovative idea to the table by incorporating bamboo into Yellow House’s renovation. This decision not only reflects eco-friendliness but also infuses a natural, aesthetic touch into the initiative. The commitment to creating sustainable changes in the lives of the underserved is evident through the transformation of Yellow House. The renovation, with eco-friendly bamboo, aims to provide shelter, generate work opportunities, and embrace an environmentally conscious approach.

YTL Foundation has contributed RM50,000 to initiate the fundraising campaign, matching the RM50,000 already raised by Yellow House. The renovation work for Yellow House is currently underway, with an estimated cost of RM275,000, and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. YTL Construction also organised a Yellow House Day: Charity Bazaar recently and successfully raised close to RM 5,000.00 towards the renovation cost. To date, Yellow House KL has raised a total of RM 106,235,58.00.

Donate now at https://ytlfoundation.org/programmes-we-fund/donate/.

Leaps Academy and Lions Club Pahang collaborated to launch a new online educational venture focusing on 50 Orang Asli children of Temuan ethnicity from SEMOA, a non-governmental organisation in Kampung Tras, Pahang.

These bright young minds, aged 8 to 17, are learning Bahasa Melayu, English, and Mathematics, with the guidance of our dedicated tutors. It was truly fascinating to witness their initial encounters with online learning and technology, as most of them had never experienced it before. The incorporation of Orang Asli culture makes lessons both engaging and relevant to their lives. Their enthusiasm and active participation in class is evident and heartwarming.

In the month of August, some of our scholars had the honour of participating in the Merdeka Parade in Putrajaya, proudly representing the YTL Group as part of the YTL contingent. Among our 100 marchers, 7 scholars had the privilege of participating in this momentous event.

This gave them the chance to connect with a diverse array of individuals from different departments and companies of the YTL Group. One unforgettable moment for our contingent was marching past the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who waved and gave them a heartfelt thumbs-up. The enthusiasm of the cheering crowd along the parade route, combined with dedicated and supportive family and friends who watched them live on TV, made this experience truly unforgettable. Read more about their experience below.


I'm Shanmugam, a YTL Foundation Scholar and currently undergoing industrial training at YTL Power. I was encouraged to participate in the Merdeka Parade to represent YTL Power. Despite my limited experience with marching, which was only in secondary school when I participated in my district’s Merdeka Parade, I decided to give it a shot. However, this year's parade was on a much larger scale compared to what I had experienced before.

Overall, it was an eye-opening experience for me. There were over 20 contingents involved, and it was inspiring to see everyone putting in a tremendous amount of effort to make it a memorable event. During the parade, I even had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of our honourable country leaders. I felt a sense of happiness knowing that I was able to express my patriotism and witness how others were showing their gratitude for our country. I want to express my gratitude to YTL Foundation for this incredible opportunity.

I'm Shanmugam, a YTL Foundation Scholar and currently undergoing industrial training at YTL Power. I was encouraged to participate in the Merdeka Parade to represent YTL Power. Despite my limited experience with marching, which was only in secondary school when I participated in my district’s Merdeka Parade, I decided to give it a shot. However, this year's parade was on a much larger scale compared to what I had experienced before.

Overall, it was an eye-opening experience for me. There were over 20 contingents involved, and it was inspiring to see everyone putting in a tremendous amount of effort to make it a memorable event. During the parade, I even had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of our honourable country leaders. I felt a sense of happiness knowing that I was able to express my patriotism and witness how others were showing their gratitude for our country. I want to express my gratitude to YTL Foundation for this incredible opportunity.

Back in June, Acumen Academy hosted an in-person gathering at the Cyberview Resort in Cyberjaya. The Acumen Academy SEA Gathering brought together social entrepreneurs, non-profit leaders, and corporate social intrapreneurs from across the region, with the purpose of strengthening connections and fostering collaborations to amplify their impact.

The Gathering also provided Southeast Asia’s social innovators with a platform to connect and collaborate with inspiring keynote speeches and engaging discussions on topics like artificial intelligence and social impact, as well as deliberations on our climate future.
 
The event showcased the remarkable stories of Acumen Academy's Southeast Asia alumni, demonstrating the power of empathy, innovation, and commitment in transforming communities. This Gathering served as a model for building equitable societies, emphasising unity and collective purpose in driving social change, a reminder of what can be achieved when diverse perspectives unite to address shared challenges.

The event was sponsored by YTL Foundation and The Lam Nguyen-Phuong Family.

To read more on The Acumen Gathering, visit: https://www.wikiimpact.com/listing/the-inaugural-acumen-academy-south-east-asia-sea-gathering/

LEAD is not your ordinary leadership programme; it is a transformative 10-month initiative, carefully crafted to empower Middle Leaders within schools. This programme equips Middle Leaders with the skills, knowledge, and mindset they need to lead their teams effectively, addressing the challenges of learning loss and literacy head-on.

The current LEAD cohort comprises 50 dedicated Committee Leaders from primary and secondary schools across Kuala Lumpur. Their mission is to enhance instructional leadership in literacy and language, ultimately improving student and school outcomes. This programme seamlessly aligns with Malaysia's Education Blueprint 2013-2025, a blueprint dedicated to ensuring that every child not only excels in Bahasa Melayu and English but also explores additional languages. 

The recent workshop took place at AC Hotel by Marriott in Kuala Lumpur, graced by the presence of Datin Nik Marini binti Nik Abdul Malik, a Senior Lecturer from Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB). Her attendance marked a recognition of the vital alignment between PEMIMPIN GSL's work and IAB's mission to cultivate a pipeline of future school leaders.

With two workshops and one online professional learning community event under their belt, the LEAD team has witnessed a positive response from its participants. As PEMIMPIN GSL anticipates further collaboration with stakeholders, their goal is to deliver the most effective training programme for Middle Leaders, collectively fostering a brighter future for education.