From Pageant Queen to Managing Director, This Woman is 1st in M’sia to Join the Obama Scholars Program!

Many Malaysians are making a name for themselves abroad, and we couldn’t be prouder of their achievements and journeys! One Malaysian in particular has had an extraordinary journey and is nothing short of remarkable.

Danutcha Catriona Singh is making history as she was recently chosen for the prestigious Obama Scholars Program for the 2024-2025 academic year.

The training is to help them create a greater impact in their communities

The Obama Foundation Scholars program helps up-and-coming leaders from all over the world level up their community work with a solid curriculum.

Danutcha is the Managing Director of SOLS Foundation, an organisation committed to growing Malaysia’s middle class through cross-sector career preparedness training, especially for low-income and Orang Asli (Indigenous peoples) communities.

The Obama Foundation reported that she is among the 30 exceptional individuals selected to participate in an immersive leadership development program designed to enhance their skills and impact as global leaders.

She won the title of Miss MalaysiaIndian 2003!

Danutcha was crowned Miss Malaysia Indian in 2003, and shortly after, she took the bold step of joining SOLS Foundation as a volunteer in Timor Leste 15 years ago. Today, she leads education initiatives that prepare individuals for their careers.

One of her projects, Skills Hub, has offered local skills training workshops that have benefited 90,000 people. Another initiative, the Solar Academy, has trained over 100 young people (half of whom are Indigenous) for careers in green energy.

She’s determined to keep growing!

In the last 2 years alone, Solar Academy graduates have successfully provided electricity to 1,423 homes, including 2,387 Indigenous households.

“To broaden their impact, she has also established a strategic partnership with HP and Malaysia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports to launch a youth fellowship program.”

As she steps into the role of CEO, Danutcha aims to leverage her time as a Scholar to create a cohesive strategy for SOLS, aligning its programs and teams to work towards a unified approach focused on expansion.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know down in the comments!

Also read: These Amazing Malaysians Were Selected For Obama’s Leadership Programme!