In 2010 when ID Dato’ Yeow Wah Chin was the District Governor of District 308 B1 Malaysia, he mooted the idea to launch an education fund to help financially poor students to complete their tertiary education. Coming from a poor family himself Dato’ Yeow knows very well the challenges facing these students and the only way to move out of the vicious cycle of poverty is through a tertiary education.
The Lions of the District and members of public responded enthusiastically and within a short span of six months a sum of more than RM1.0 million was raised. A charity foundation was later registered under the Companies Act of 1965 in March, 2011 with a Board of Trustees to administer the fund. Tax exempt status was also granted by the Government for this foundation known as Lions Education Foundation in the same year.
Since its incorporation in March 2011 the Foundation had extended financial assistance to 53 students and the fund set aside is RM800,000.00. A special feature of the Fund is the financial assistance is granted to academically average students who are from poor family. Generally a sum of up RM10,000 per annum is given to deserving cases to cover tuition fee, examination fee or living expenses. Currently the students are pursuing their studies in various institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. Among the courses pursued by the recipients of the Fund are as follows, Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Laws, Pharmacy, Diploma in Banking and Finance, Diploma in Creative arts and design, Diploma in Economy and Management, ACCA, Bachelor of Culinary Arts & Food Management, Diploma in Multimedia Technology, Diploma in Hotel Management, Dietetic just to name a few.