Orang Asli Education & Boarding Programme

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.

2025 Annual Report

The project impacted a total of 400 direct beneficiaries and provided significant social and educational benefits through programs such as SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) training, having a considerable positive outcome on the beneficiaries’ skills and employment readiness.

Testimonies

“I work as a customer service person for the bakery shop. My biggest learning during my customer service internship was understanding how to handle customers with patience and professionally. I learned that every customer is different, and the way I communicate can change their entire experience. I also developed stronger problem-solving skills especially when dealing with difficult situations because I had to stay calm, listen carefully, and find solutions quickly. This experience really changed how I approach people and taught me the importance of empathy in customer service. My internship was a very meaningful experience. I learned how to communicate better, handle customers politely, and work well with my team. The experience helped me become more confident and understand what customer service is really like. I’m grateful for the guidance and support I received throughout my internship.” –Suabedah, 17, internship year, How internship year helped preparing her-

“From ASET Year 1, one super useful thing I learned was teamwork and communication during the DC Bazaar, which really helped me work better with others during my internship. My time in ASET has been really great. I learned many new things like videography, cooking, Early Childhood Education, and how to work with others. During Travel & Learn i learned so many of things such as we need to do all on time helped me understand teamwork and responsibility, especially when following the time.” -Omar, 19, internship year, The Programme-

“SEL has helped me the most with my current internship job – as an interpreter working with Gender Based Violence (GBV) victims. I have to manage my emotions and maintain professionalism when dealing with the cases every day.” -Ajil, 19, internship year, SEL-

“Here is my review of the SEL workshop conducted on the second week of my Travel and Learn programme. In that workshop, I learned about growth and fixed mindsets. It was quite useful as it changed how I tackle challenges I face. I really enjoyed the Lego building activity. It kept me on edge and even stressed me a little, but in a good, competitive manner. It helps me collaborate with others and treat them better.” -Student, Year 10-

2024 Annual Report

The project impacted a total of 400 direct beneficiaries by providing secondary and skill-based program students with social-emotional learning and digital training, significantly improving their interpersonal and digital literacy skills.

Testimonies 

“Before, I didn’t know what SEL was. After joining Dignity, I found out about SEL, and I really like it. I was hot-tempered before finding SEL; I would get mad easily and always try to argue about small matters. But now, after joining SEL classes, here are a few things I have improved: talking politely with others (no matter whether the person is younger or older than me, I always try to be as polite as possible). I learned to set a smart goal. Now, I always have a goal for three months. Sometimes, I can’t fulfill it, but I try again. SEL is really helping me in my internship. I believe in myself and speak confidently. Before that, I was so shy to talk and thought that people would think badly about me, but the more I talk, the more confident I become.” – Intern, batch 2024

“Through my SEL lessons, I have learned many valuable things, such as empathy, children’s rights, racism, and many more. SEL has also taught me about emotions and how to manage them. I’ve become more aware of how I might unconsciously show biases, and I aspire to become a changemaker one day!” – secondary student-

“Throughout this year, I have learned many important lessons from my SEL classes. One of them would be learning to control my emotions and be more open to others. I also learned about different cultures, which has helped me better understand my classmates.”                                -secondary student-

2023 Annual Report

The project benefited 400 individuals. The impact of the project includes the implementation of formal weekly SEL lessons, school-wide programs, and workshops, which aim to improve social-emotional skills and digital training for secondary and skill-based program students.

Testimonies 

“The workshop was a great experience. After hearing about the facilitators’ backgrounds, it made me think about my future and what I want to do. Furthermore, they taught us how to face the challenges that we might face based on their experiences which I thought were very useful because I can relate to some of them. The facilitators were very nice and easy to talk with which I like, especially Miss Kamalia. She was energetic and unlike most of the other facilitators, she was probably, in my opinion, the best one! I hope I get to see her again if we have another workshop.” –secondary student, 16 (on Webhelp workshops)-

“The Webhelp workshop has taught me a lot of skills that i need in life, and has significantly changed my point of view and helped me to empathise more with people. For example, I remember, during the second last session at Bentong, we had to create our own flags with meanings. My team and I didn’t know what to do nor did we have any ideas. But as we discussed and shared even the smallest thought that came to our minds, we were able to come up with something wonderful. From this experience, I learnt the importance of communication and teamwork. The workshop not only gave me those skills but also many other things. For me, one thing that really struck me was how I need to stay true to myself and be authentic in order to have self-confidence and be respectable for others.” -secondary student, 16 (on Webhelp workshops)-

“I have learned a lot from these lessons, but one of my favourites is the second lesson: motivation. It’s important for me as it helps me move forward so much and also aids in changing old habits.” -ASET student, 16 (on SEL lesson)-