Fifteen Tamil community preschools in Selangor and Perak received much needed support from RYTHM Foundation, the social impact initiative of the QI Group.
Under a collaboration between the Foundation and Persatuan Penjana Impian Guru-guru Malaysia (PPIGM), the two-year support programme will help around 375 students from B40 (Bottom 40% Income segment) families with access to better quality education. RYTHM Foundation is funding the salaries of the school teachers in these 15 schools as they do not receive government funding and rely on the community for support.
“Education is essential for children from low income and minority communities to break the cycle of poverty. Our aim is to help these community schools become a centre of learning and become model community schools for the rest of the country,” said Datin Sri Umayal Eswaran, Chairperson of RYTHM Foundation at the virtual MoU signing event with PPIGM.
Also present at the virtual MoU signing today was the President of PPIGM, Punitha Mokhan; Head of RYTHM Foundation, Santhi Periasamy; Directors from the QI Group and the teachers participating in this programme.
“PPIGM would like to express our deepest appreciation and thanks to RYTHM Foundation for this initiative. We will be wholly responsible in ensuring that all funds channelled into the project are well utilised and the objectives of this initiative are efficiently met,” said Punitha Mokhan.
Datin Sri Umayal also highlighted the importance of creating a solid foundation with quality preschool education to enable children in their academic journey.
“It is ever more critical for children from disadvantaged homes where parents and family members are not able to teach or guide the children in any way. We firmly believe that helping these children at this stage in their life will in the long run result in facilitating the upliftment of their community,” she noted, adding that this two-year programme is just the beginning and there are plans for bigger things ahead.
In addition to the financial support programme, RYTHM Foundation has set up an advisory panel to approach the Government through the relevant ministries to get their buy-in to support this foundational programme as there are many more community preschools out there that are in desperate need of assistance.
Meanwhile, the PPIGM is also committed to look into all measures needed to upskill themselves and to mobilise the communities within which the preschools are located, and work with the stakeholders concerned to continue running their preschools effectively.
