AMMA Foundation recently held its 16^th High Achievers’ Awards event at the Royal Selangor Club, Dataran Merdeka. The event was officiated by the Member of Parliament for Klang, YB Charles Santiago. Around 15 students were honoured. Students who scored 8A’s and above were given a cash award, a plaque and a certificate of merit.

Besides these students, another 4 students who topped in the 2017 UPSR examination and 2 others in the PT3 examination 2017 were also honoured. These disadvantaged students fall under a program called GMC or Give Me A Chance, conducted by AMMA Foundation and facilitated by Pusat Makkal Eyakam in the vicinity of Sungei Besi. These students hail from poor families and fall into the category of the IB40.

Besides, 2 students who qualified for the V D Nair Scholarship Program were also given a cash award. The V. D. Nair Scholarship is an educational scholarship programme established, administered and operated by AMMA Foundation. It is a form of grant.

The Scholarship programme was developed to encourage and assist eligible candidates who do not have adequate resources, to pursue diploma/undergraduate or postgraduate qualifications at a recognised university/college

The Foundation’s objectives in awarding the scholarships are to :

• develop and enhance the potential of deserving children and adults to complete tertiary/post graduate education to become active members of the nation’s economy who contribute positively as global citizens
• help graduate and postgraduate students of potential and calibre to become part of Malaysia’s  talent pipeline

The President of AMMA Foundation, Prof. Dr. Aruna Gopinath, addressed the alarming number of dropouts in the Indian community. Serious steps have to be taken, she said, in order to ensure that these children will not fall into the traps of gangsterism and drug addiction. She also stated that by 2020 no child should feel he or she has been denied a proper education and livelihood.

AMMA Foundation's mission is to provide disadvantaged students with a range of programmes and resources that include interest free loans, scholarships, grants, community outreach as well as networking opportunities to young graduates and assist them to become self-sufficient individuals and future leaders.

Education is a basic human right and the Foundation is committed to play its part in helping needy Malaysians in this area.

YB Charles Santiago in his address, said attention is being paid to the seriousness of the dropouts problem. He said steps have been taken to ensure that vocational training and other jobs which can turn the students into an active participant of the state will be carried out.

Education is very crucial for the upliftment of social ills in the country. Hopefully, through the various programmes that the government has introduced, it is hoped that the students from the disadvantaged homes will be able to learn a skill or a trade and not be a notorious group.