Danutcha Catriona Singh, Managing Director of SOLS Foundation, has made history as the first Malaysian to be selected for the prestigious Obama Scholars Program for the 2024-2025 academic year.
The Obama Foundation announced that Danutcha will join 30 emerging global leaders in an immersive leadership development experience.
Of the 30 scholars, 12, including Danutcha, will attend Columbia University in New York, while the rest will study at the University of Chicago.
Danutcha has been a driving force at SOLS Foundation, an organisation focused on elevating Malaysia’s middle class through career training, with a special focus on low-income and Indigenous communities.
Beginning her journey as a volunteer teacher 15 years ago, she now leads impactful education initiatives. Under her leadership, the Skills Hub has provided skills training to 106,000 individuals, while the Solar Academy has trained over 700 underprivileged youth for careers in Green Energy.
The academy’s graduates have brought light to 1,423 residential city homes and 2,387 Indigenous homes.
As an Obama Scholar, Danutcha aims to enhance SOLS Foundation’s programs by developing strategies to scale the organisation’s impact. Her participation in the program is expected to strengthen SOLS Foundation’s role in Malaysia’s social innovation space.
The Obama Scholars Program, launched in 2018, equips emerging leaders with the skills, tools, and experiences to amplify their impact in their home communities. Danutcha’s selection reflects her dedication to social entrepreneurship and her efforts to empower communities in Malaysia and beyond.
