Building the Foundation for Lifelong Learning

Every child is entitled to quality education and each individual should not face significant or unfair hurdles from achieving their dreams due to lower socio-economic backgrounds. Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd (F&NHB) and the Kassim Chin Humanity Foundation (KCHF) have been working closely together throughout the years to tackle this issue by giving educational opportunities to marginalised children and providing them with lifelong skills and knowledge.

The collaboration between F&NHB and KCHF is part of the F&N Empowering Lives Through Education (E.L.I.T.E.) programme, which provides pre-school education to children aged between five and six years old at Pangsapuri Enggang, a ‘Program Perumahan Rakyat’ development in Bandar Kinrara, Puchong. Through Tadika Kassim Chin Humanity Foundation, the children are taught to read, write and count, the same schooling experience as other children in regular pre-schools.

This year, 25 children graduated from the F&N E.L.I.T.E programme and the graduation certificate awarded to the preschoolers can be presented to their primary school of choice when they begin primary education. Additionally, the programme provides free tuition classes for primary and secondary school students aged between seven and 17 years old at Pangsapuri Enggang.

Cariessa Goh, Corporate Affairs Manager, F&NHB said that it was an honour for F&NHB to be a part of this change and contribute to the children’s early education. “Every child deserves the right to proper education and there should be no reason for us to deprive them of it, even if the reason is inevitable. Seeing the children smile so brightly while receiving their graduation scroll reminded me of why we started the collaboration with KCHF in the first place.

“Although it is not much, we hope that our contribution is able to change their future even by the slightest. We look forward to continue collaborating with KCHF in hopes of offering learning opportunities for the children under the F&N E.L.I.T.E programme so that they will have the chance to achieve their goals and be on a level playing field with their more well-to-do peers.

“Year after year, we can see how the parents are more aware of the educational opportunities offered by the F&N E.L.I.T.E programme and are happy with the quality of education provided by the Foundation. We at F&N strongly believe in enabling children regardless of their backgrounds to acquire relevant skills for lifelong learning in order to build a better future for themselves and their communities. Hopefully, our effort will help them develop the skills they need for life and future employment,” Goh added.

Meanwhile, Miliee Kassim, Executive Trustee of the Kassim Chin Humanity Foundation expressed her utmost gratitude to F&NHB for their continuous support and commitment to ensure maximum awareness of the importance of early childhood education in order to unlock the young children’s fullest potential.

“This year marks the ninth year of our collaboration with F&NHB. Their contributions have opened up so many doors for our children and without their support, not as many kids would be able to enjoy the learning opportunities that we offer them. Thanks to their financial assistance and contribution, we are able to focus completely on the children, giving them the best schooling experience we can.

“These children gained a strong foothold by studying here and we are all excited for what’s to come for them in the near future. Now, the graduates realise that they do not have to feel lesser than their peers once they begin their primary education. Not only did they gain skills and knowledge here, most importantly, they also acquired assurance and confidence. We hope they carry these qualities forward with them into the future,” she added.

Since KCHF’s inception in 2011, F&NHB has contributed over RM580,000 in cash and more than 600 cartons of F&N milk and soya products to aid in the school funding and nutritional needs of the children who attend the kindergarten and tuition centre. This year, F&NHB contributed nearly RM50,000 and 100 cartons F&N products to ease the Foundation’s financial burden.

The Tadika Kassim Chin Humanity Foundation (KCHF) was set up to help children from disadvantaged families by providing them with basic education, irrespective of their nationality, age, gender, ethnicity and religion. Since the Foundation’s partnership with F&NHB in 2011, the F&N E.L.I.T.E. programme has attracted 487 students, aged between five and 17 years old and produced 107 kindergarten graduates from Pangsapuri Enggang and surrounding underprivileged societies.