From humble beginnings to international recognition, Fadhrullah’s journey is a powerful story of resilience and community-rooted leadership.
His literacy project, ‘Elevating Literacy and Verbal Practices for Primary Children through Recovery Relearning Progress in Urban Poor Communities’ — was developed during the Aspire Leaders Program and refined with a cross-cultural team of youth from across Southeast Asia. The initiative earned top honors at the ASEAN Youth Advocates Network’s Pitch Perfect competition, including: Champion – Most Outstanding Project Proposal, ASEAN Visionary Award, Feasibility Excellence Award, and the SDG Synergy Award.
A Childhood That Inspired Change
Fadhrullah was raised in a working-class Malaysian family. “We didn’t come from wealth, influence or opportunity; we came from grit,” he said. As the second child and only son, he studied under the dim lights of a hawker stall while his parents sold drinks to make ends meet.
“I remember hiding my tears as a child when I couldn’t afford school materials or when I had to say no to opportunities that required money we didn’t have. There were even times when I considered giving up. But each time, I thought of my parents: who never had the chance to pursue education themselves,” he recalls.
“Education wasn’t just my way forward; it was my family’s redemption story,” he said. He is proudly the first in his family to attend university.
Finding the Aspire Leaders Program
In his search for guidance and growth, Fadhrullah discovered the Aspire Leaders Program (ALP). “It felt like someone, somewhere was finally saying, ‘You matter. Your voice matters. You belong here,” he said.
Through ALP, he learned to lead with empathy and to take pride in his lived experience. “What moved me the most was ALP’s mission to uplift first-generation, underrepresented youth from underserved backgrounds. That was me, in every sense of the word,” he said.
Career and Volunteering: Service on Two Fronts
Fadhrullah works as a talent development analyst at Yayasan Khazanah, where he supports scholarship recipients through academic and personal development. He is also pursuing diplomas in business administration and human resources management through open distance learning — both on scholarship.
His volunteer work with Teach For Malaysia had a deep impact. He recalls one experience that changed everything: meeting a 10-year-old boy who could not read and asked, “There’s no hope for me, right?” That question sparked the idea for the ‘Literacy Toolkit’ which eventually became his ALP project.
The Literacy Toolkit: Powered by Community
The toolkit is a phonics-based, bilingual resource designed for parents, siblings and volunteers to teach foundational reading skills in underserved homes.
“I wanted something that could live in the hands of the community, not locked in an institution,” Fadhrullah said.
Alongside his Southeast Asian peers, he transformed the toolkit into a regional proposal rooted in lived experience and designed for scale. “To be honest, when our names were called, I didn’t feel like I was winning for myself. I felt like I was standing on the shoulders of every child I ever met who thought they weren’t smart enough, not good enough, not meant for greatness,” he said. Right now, the project is in it’s pilot phase with feedback collection and testing being given prime importance.
What’s Next: Scaling Impact
Fadhrullah plans to expand the initiative throughout Kuala Lumpur by partnering with local communities and NGOs to co-develop solutions. He dreams of turning his project into a movement where communities take ownership of literacy.
“Not charity, but justice,” he emphasizes clearly on his intentions.
Long-term, he hopes to pursue a master’s degree or Ph.D. in education or public policy at institutions like Harvard, Columbia or the University of Pennsylvania — not for prestige, but to return with knowledge that benefits his community.
“Sometimes our deepest wounds become our most powerful message,” he said. “I’m walking toward a future where my roots become wings — and I carry the voices of every child who was once told they didn’t matter.”
