Social enterprise GoodKids Malaysia taps on performing arts and counselling to help at-risk youth build self-confidence, a model which ECM Libra Foundation supports. The Foundation recognises that performance arts can be an effective medium to teach life skills such as motivation and self-confidence to disadvantaged youth, who are at risk of dropping out of schools because of poverty or dysfunctional backgrounds. And armed with these life skills, our youth will can make better choices for themselves.

In 2016, GoodKids conducted a 20-week programme for 70 urban poor youth who underwent training in performance arts for two hours each week. All the hours of training led to an event in August known as GoodKids League2016, whereby these youth performed in front of an audience of nearly 300.

This programme helped build a foundation for the youth to understand teamwork, learn responsibility as they came together to practice, and develop leadership and communication skills when they curated their performances.

Using the Rosenberg Self Esteem Assessment, GoodKids noted that 70 per cent of the students recorded higher self-esteem in a survey a week after GoodKids League 2016, compared to the level at the start of the programme.

As one participant put it: “We wanted to quit (along the way), but the trainers encouraged us to keep trying. In the end, we won. I now feel happy and I know I can achieve anything.”

For more on GoodKids and their programme, please listen to a BFM interview on March 23, 2016 with co-founders Kogge and Naaraa:
https://www.bfm.my/podcast/enterprise/hervantage/resource-centre-hervantage-good-kids-koggelavani-naaraayini

To view GoodKids’ performances, please click:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtEOjqdLo1RrOuv8vQfP9Kw