Dignity for Children Foundation
Think Human Foundation
Mission & History
Dignity for Children Foundation is dedicated to empowering underprivileged urban poor children through quality education, aiming to break the cycle of poverty and bring positive transformation to both their lives and their communities. By creating high-quality learning centers and specialized environments, Dignity focuses on developing children academically and socially, preparing them to become productive and self-reliant members of society. Originating in 1998 in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur with 20 students, it has grown into a robust educational institution serving over 2,000 children from ages 4 to 19.
The foundation provides secure, quality education from preschool to Year 11, incorporating the Montessori method for younger students and the Cambridge IGCSE ‘O’ level for secondary students. In addition to academic instruction, Dignity emphasizes employability through its Transformational Enterprise program. The foundation envisions nurturing world changers via transformative education, with missions focused on establishing community-based education programs, inspiring community involvement, and becoming a leading hub for transformational education in the ASEAN region. Through these efforts, Dignity seeks to build passionate and skilled educators and catalyze significant community changes.
Country Information
As of January 2023, Malaysia is home to a total of 183,790 registered refugees and asylum-seekers, as reported by the UNHCR. Notably, children below the age of 18 constitute a significant portion of this population, with 48,160 individuals representing approximately 26% of the total.
In the capital city, Kuala Lumpur, there are 32,749 refugees and asylum-seekers. However, legal restrictions prevent refugee and stateless children from accessing the formal education system, limiting their educational opportunities. Instead, these children can attend informal learning centres; yet, despite this avenue, only about 30% of the entire refugee population is enrolled in such centres, highlighting the considerable challenges they face in accessing education.
The Need
The targeted social need identified revolves around addressing the educational and employment challenges faced by marginalized and vulnerable youth. There is a pressing requirement for comprehensive education and skill-building experiences that not only enhance academic proficiency but also foster social and emotional growth. With low-skill jobs dominating available positions and high-skill roles being scarce, marginalized youths face formidable barriers, including documentation issues and limited opportunities to secure desirable employment. To combat this, there is an increasing demand for holistic education programs that integrate academic and skill-based training while also emphasizing the importance of social and emotional competencies sought by employers.
The Project We Fund
The SEL for Youth Success project equips marginalised and vulnerable youths with a comprehensive education and skill-building experience that enhances their academic proficiency, fosters social and emotional growth, and prepares them for success in the job market to break out of the cycle of poverty.
Activities supported through this project includes a school-wide SEL programme with workshops that cover self-esteem, kindness, empathy; production of SEL lessons and activities and digital literacy classes.
The Result
Student performance will be evaluated through a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures. Quantitative measures will include test results, attendance records, and graduation or completion rates, providing a clear numerical assessment of students’ academic achievements.
Qualitative measures will involve gathering feedback from various stakeholders, including students, parents, and educators, to gain insights into their experiences and perceptions of the educational program.
Additionally, the project will track employment outcomes by monitoring job placements, job retention rates, and allowances for students after they complete the program. Feedback from employers will also be collected to assess the students’ skills and competencies demonstrated during internships.
Furthermore, the development of soft skills and social-emotional learning (SEL) will be evaluated through student surveys and field observations conducted by SEL staff during activities such as the Travel and Learn camp and classroom sessions. This multifaceted approach will ensure a comprehensive understanding of student performance and the effectiveness of the educational interventions.
