Education and Youth Intervention
Children and Youth are the building blocks of a better future
Education and Youth Interventions
Today there is a significant divide between the growing – up experiences of children based on their background they come from and the type of school they go to. We are addressing this divide through our Education and Youth Intervention Model. Our model addresses every aspect from – schooling, sports, personality development, vocational training and building community support networks. We believe this model can be implemented across countries facing education disparities, to bring a more equitable experience for children and youth around the world.
key facts
our programs
Creating intervention models and scholarship pathways in education, vocational and personality development for children and youth.
School Intervention Program
The PRISM Program (Promoting Regional Schools to International Standards through Multiple Interventions) is a collaboration between the Government of Kerala and the Faizal and Shabana Foundation to improve the standards of government schools through planned interventions. The Government Vocational Higher Secondary Schools for Girls, Nadakkavu in Kozhikode (Calicut) was the flagship school that was renovated as part of this program.
Over a period of a year the Foundation transformed the school’s infrastructure in a cost-effective manner using offsite manufacturing and precast, modular technology. It introduced better sports facilities, library, laboratories and classrooms creating an enriching learning environment. It also introduced interventions like – teacher training programs, vocational training, teacher and student inter-school learning and knowledge exchange program amongst others. The results have been inspiring, from being a debilitated school Nadakkavu become one of the top 3 government schools in the country and witnessed more than 100% growth in enrollments and more than 400% improvement in results. The school has become a case-study in transformation and this model has been implemented in more than 70 schools in Kerala and 1000 more are in the pipeline.
Ennegoll is a small Panchayat (consisting of 8 villages) in the outskirts Krishnagirir District of Tamil Nadu with a population of over 5,000 people. Being a remote village, the children of the village had poor schooling facilities and most did not attend any classes. The Foundation took Ennogoll as a case-study to showcase how building a school would not only benefit children but also help in overall development of the community. The aim was to make this into a model to showcase the importance of building good schooling facilities across remote villages. Using offsite manufacturing and precast, modular technology, the school was built in a mere 3 months and has the capacity to support 120 children. The school has seen a 225% growth in enrollment with 95% of the village children attending the school regularly. It has also become a hub for community development – classes for English, Computer Skills, Vocation Training, Agriculture Learning Programs, Health Awareness Sessions amongst others are conducted in the facilities making it a hub for overall growth and development of the village.
Research Support Program
At the foundation, we believe that we must continually seek to improve our knowledge. In an endeavor to achieve this we partnered with Manipal University one of India’s leading institution offering specialized technology and engineering courses. University Alumni include Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft, Rajeev Suri, CEO, Nokia, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, First Malaysian Astronaut and our own Chairman Faizal Kottikollon amongst others. To encourage new-thinking in the sector which is crucial to the country’s growth. The Foundation is building a research center to encourage development in the field of engineering. We are also working with the university to introduce a course in precast and offsite manufacturing to help fast forward India.
Sports and Physical Development
Sports is an essential part of a child’s life and the Foundation supports sporting activities across the schools it works with including activities like Judo, Foot Ball, Hockey, Basketball, Tennis amongst others.
Additionally, we also worked with the Sports and Education Promotion Trust (SEPT) launched in 2004 in Kerala. The trust supports football training for children from an early age, which in turn helps them compete at an international level. Football training in India generally begins at the age of 14-15 and students thus have a 7-8 year gap of training in comparison with other football playing nations. It is to fill this gap that SEPT started football coaching centers in different parts of Kerala. The foundation supported SEPT with financial aid 2012 to 2105.
Education Aid
Since 2010 the Faizal and Shabana foundation has given 10 million AED to support the education of deserving children in need. This includes support in form of school and college fees, part scholarships, books and other accessories amongst others.
By supporting these children from underprivileged backgrounds, we want to give them an opportunity to build their own future. Over 500 number of students have benefited from the scholarships received over the last seven years. Institutes and Communities supported include: American University of Sharjah, Delhi Private School Sharjah and Dubai, KEF Employee Children, Nadakkavu School, Network of Schools in Kerala, Calicut Girls School amongst others.
Teacher Learning Program
Teaching is one of the most prestigious and valuable career a person can choose and he truth is that, teachers are the managers of the country’s most significant resource – our children. They need to be empowered and equipped to handle the Herculean task of educating India’s future. The Faizal and Shabana Foundation have helped build partnerships with reputed institutions for skill development programs including IIM Kozhikode and Ruth- Cohn Institute, India. The Foundation has also supported training for children of the Delhi Public School Sharjah since 2012. During the sessions teachers are engaged actively in skill-building exercises and inward-looking retrospection processes to relook and relearn how to become a more holistic teacher, thereby helping the children to become better learners.
International Interactive Platforms
Student training programs, student ambassadors, interaction with students from school in UK - Wycombe abbey is also another initiative of the Foundation. The students also interact with experts from other countries, which the Foundation facilitate to bring to the school. Their small group interactions and discussions allow the children to get a larger world view. Also the students have online interactions using conference calls on a monthly basis, where the kids from Schools in India interact with students from schools from UK.
testimonials
- Niranjana, School Student, G.V.H.S.S for Girls, Kozhikode India
Faizal Sir and Shabana Ma’am are truly an inspiration and role model to us because we don't find many people who believe in giving back to the society and especially helping us girls create our lives.
Niranjana, School Student, G.V.H.S.S for Girls, Kozhikode India - Jaluse K, Principal & Non-Vocational Teacher, G.V.H.S.S for Girls, Kozhikode, India
"The Faizal and Shabana Foundation has done a fantastic job of improving the school on all levels be it infrastructure, sports facilities, cultural and art programs, teacher training and engagement. The ambience at the school is truly one of positivity, with eager students proud of the changes the foundation has brought about in their lives."
Jaluse K, Principal & Non-Vocational Teacher, G.V.H.S.S for Girls, Kozhikode, India - A. R. Rahman
“The dedication of Faizal and Shabana to the PRISM project to make the Nadakkavu school the first Govt. school to be recognized in the Top 10 schools in India in 5 years’ time is extremely commendable
A. R. Rahman, Oscar & Grammy Award Winning Singer-songwriter, Music Producer, Musician and Philanthropist
- Ronaldinho, Footballer, Brazil
"I have really enjoyed my visit to the GVHSS Nadakkavu School and I am extremely impressed by the facilities the school has to offer. I congratulate the Kerala Government and the Faizal & Shabana Foundation for giving these young talents access to this state-of-the-art football facility, which will help them better hone their skill."
Ronaldinho, Footballer, Brazil
True happiness and joy, comes from creating a positive impact – this philosophy has defined the work Faizal Kottikollon has done as a passionate social entrepreneur.
An ingenious humanitarian he believes in always Giving Back in a manner that is long-term, sustainable and impactful. This thought process is one of the cornerstones of every initiative the Foundation has undertaken including, creating a sustainable school intervention model to reform government education practices in India, and empowering and educating farmers in new practices and techniques. His forward thinking has also played a significant role in enabling the creation of low-cost, yet high-quality basic infrastructure like schools, hospitals and food subsidy canteens in India through the use of technology, and has also helped up-skill construction workers in the country.
Faizal has always looked at his work as a way of creating a positive impact to create a better future. He consistently harnesses the latest technology, believing that it has the largest and fastest impact to help the underprivileged and build a more equitable world for everyone.
Shabana Faizal cares passionately about people, development and community building. Across her over 20-year entrepreneurial and philanthropic journey she has always focused on developing avenues that empower and provide sustainable opportunities for those less privileged. This forms the other cornerstone on which the Foundations programs and activities are visualized.
From providing village women a platform to share their art through her first speciality retail venture in 1995, to creating a one-of-its-kind community development centre for workers in UAE, to helping deserving students and community members to educate and train themselves and find a sustainable livelihood, – Giving Back is intrinsic to Shabana’s value system.
Today under her guidance the Foundation has grown and created a ripple effect that has impacted the lives of thousands of people across the Middle East and India. As she continues to dedicate her time and resources to causes most close to her, she believes that there is a lot more work yet to be done to create an equitable community, and a better tomorrow for everyone.
With a PhD in social work to his credit, Dr. Joseph Sebastian has over two and half decades of social development experience. Starting his career as a community development worker, Dr. Sebastian went on to become an academician, a professor and the Principal at Yashawantrao Institute of Social Sciences, Maharashtra. Prior to becoming Head of the Faizal and Shabana Foundation, Dr. Sebastian was the Executive Director of Indo Global Social Service Society. In an earlier role, he has also served as Director-Operations and Director-Monitoring and Evaluations at Project Concern International, a US-based non-profit organization.
Passionate about working with people and impact creating projects, Dr Sebastian brings to his work grass roots as well as board room level through processes. He is at ease working with villagers – young and old; women and men and at the same time sitting at a table formulating policies. He believes that one has to give the most and the best to those in need and any amount one gives may not be enough as there is so much to be done to bring about fullness of life.
Nimmy Theresa Antony completed her BTech in 2012. Recruited directly from the Campus, she worked with UST Global as software engineer. It’s after working for more than a year, she could take the strong step to follow her passion of working for and with people. She went on to complete her Master’s in Social Work with specialisation in Rural Development from TISS. She has rich experience working with hard to reach communities – economically and socially. Her expertise is in the fields of public health, education, hygiene and women empowerment. Prior to joining to the Foundation, she has worked with CARE India in remote parts of Bihar.
Chelleth Roshan John completed her Masters in Social Work from Nirmala Niketan College, Mumbai in 2004. She has also done a Diploma in MBA and Human Rights Law from National Law School of India University (NLSIU). She has a rich experience working with national welfare organisations like Childline, Vedanta Foundation and Share. Prior to joining the Faizal and Shabana Foundation, she worked with Margdarshak as the Regional Head for CSR in Goa.