Danutcha Catriona Singh, managing director of SOLS Foundation becomes first Malaysian selected as 2024-2025 Obama Scholar

• SOLS has immpacted over 800,000 students in 7 countries over 24 years
• Selection reflects Danutcha’s commitment to social impact, vision for SOLS

The Obama Foundation has announced that Danutcha Catriona Singh (pic), managing director of SOLS Foundation, has been selected for its seventh cohort of Obama Scholars for the 2024-2025 academic year. Danutcha is the first Malaysian chosen for this esteemed programme, and she will join 30 emerging leaders worldwide in an immersive leadership experience, with 12 scholars, including Danutcha, attending Columbia University, and the remaining 18 at the University of Chicago.

Danutcha has been a transformative leader at SOLS Foundation, which focuses on elevating Malaysia’s middle class through career preparedness training, particularly for low-income and Indigenous communities. Starting as a volunteer teacher 15 years ago, she now leads impactful initiatives. Under her leadership, the Skills Hub has provided tailored skills training to 106,000 individuals, and the Solar Academy has trained over 700 underprivileged youth, 50% of whom are Indigenous, for careers in Green Energy. In the past two years, Solar Academy graduates have illuminated 1,423 residential and 2,387 Indigenous homes, with future plans for deeper electrification access, such as microgrids, which SOLS Foundation is actively working towards.

Danutcha’s selection as an Obama Scholar reflects her commitment to social impact and her vision for SOLS Foundation. During the programme, she plans to develop a strategy to streamline SOLS Foundation’s programmes and teams, aiming to scale the organisation’s impact and position Malaysia as a leader in Social Innovation.

Established in 2018, the Obama Scholars programme is central to the Obama Foundation’s mission to develop global leaders. It provides Scholars with practical skills, tools, and experiences to amplify their impact. Participants will benefit from academic, skills-based, and experiential learning opportunities offered by Columbia University and the University of Chicago, in collaboration with the Obama Foundation. The programme also includes leadership training, global networking, and personalised support.

Under Danutcha’s leadership, SOLS Foundation remains a key player in providing education to underserved communities in Malaysia and beyond. Initially focusing on English teaching, the Foundation has expanded to job preparation, digital education, and employable English skills. SOLS Foundation has impacted over 800,000 students in seven countries over the past 24 years and boasts a team of over 40 full-time members from more than five countries, with a proven track record in providing English training, digital skills, Energy Access, NGO transformation, and crowdfunding programmes to government ministries, agencies, corporations, universities, and schools.

Danutcha’s selection as an Obama Scholar highlights her dedication to social entrepreneurship and her efforts to empower communities. Her participation will bring new perspectives and strategies to further enhance SOLS Foundation’s work and contribute to a brighter future for the communities it serves.