Singapore student-wellness startup eyes India

Singapore-based student mental wellbeing platform Zoala is looking to expand its activities in India and its co-founder Rahul Vijayan recently visited different schools in Trivandrum to explain how they use AI-assisted programs to help students overcome challenges and build resilience. 

In Singapore, the mental well-being of children has emerged as a growing concern, and though the numbers may seem small in comparison to larger nations like India, the implications are significant for an ageing society like Singapore.

In Kerala, the prevalence of anxiety disorders and depression is very high, especially among boys, according to a survey published by Kanal, a voluntary organisation that has been working within the student community. Its founder, Anson PD Alexander, also told Kerala Kaumudi that while there are regular government campaigns against drug abuse among the youth, mental health issues have not been given the same importance.

Zoala was picked as a part of the Singapore pavilion during DIDAC expo in Bangalore last October and grabbed the attention of schools here. Now they have started pilot projects in Bangalore and Calcutta and are poised to begin one in Trivandrum. With their presence extending to Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, Zoala expects to generate an annual income of 2.5 million Singapore dollars by 2025. 

Zoala, which has now grown to a team of around 20, was formed in 2022 when Rahul and co-founder Sharmili Roy from Calcutta, who has a PhD in AI, joined hands with Jeff Lee, the founder and CEO. 

Rahul, originally from Trivandrum, migrated to the Lion City after completing his engineering at Cochin University College of Engineering, Kuttanad in 2003. He then pursued a master’s degree in microengineering from Victoria University, Australia in 2007.

The motivation to enter the well-being sector arose from a deeply personal experience of Jeff, who had a firsthand encounter with his goddaughter’s struggle with depression. She made two suicide attempts before the age of 15, unable to seek help due to the stigma and fear of discrimination. While her parents eventually became supportive and approached a counselor, the lack of timely help proved to be a significant drawback.

Jeff, Rahul, and Sharmili initially pursued engineering careers but came together when they enrolled at the National University of Singapore for their Executive MBA. What began as their entrepreneurship assignment evolved into the establishment of the startup. Their goal was to create an app available for children around the clock, seven days a week.

Instead of directly targeting individual users, Zoala chose to engage schools in adopting their platform as part of children's well-being programmes, offering a subscription model for schools to use. For those above 12 years of age, the platform provides a mobile app.

Rahul says the uniqueness of Zoala lies in its holistic approach to wellness. In contrast to traditional mental health interventions that may carry a stigma, Zoala encourages schools to integrate their application into wellness modules. These modules incorporate creative habits like arts, providing children with avenues for self-expression without fear of judgment.

“Technology serves as an enabler to solve the problem, but we can’t eliminate social and human interactions from well-being,” says Rahul.

To address the shortage of qualified counsellors, Zoala utilises the platform as a client listener that provides suggestions without judgment or bias. This aids children and lightens the load for counsellors, enabling them to prioritise their attention based on the urgency of individual cases.

By employing chatbots with psychological insights, Zoala aims to pinpoint the root causes of stress, whether stemming from exam fears, bullying, or family issues. If a red flag is raised during interactions with a user, the platform alerts school authorities rather than parents. This approach is based on the understanding that parental reactions may vary, with panic or denial being common responses.

As school teachers and counsellors undergo more training in handling such situations, they are better equipped to address these challenges. Zoala's B2B model has received positive responses from schools in Singapore. With active encouragement from educators, thousands of students have downloaded the app and interact with the platform daily.

Rahul highlights the effort put into gaining the trust of students. “Zoala's fundamental approach revolves around assuring students that the platform aims to protect them. We don't share their chats with teachers or counsellors but convey only their emotional status. When we explain this, most students understand our aim and willingly join.”

Another unique aspect of Zoala’s approach is the encouragement of children to maintain daily journals. “We train them to record their activities and categorise them differently. One thing we ask them to do is record two things that they are grateful for every day. This helps break the focus on disadvantages and negatives that many youngsters have.”

Journal writing aids kids in developing the ability to express their emotions with clarity, a skill not as common in older generations. “I have never learned how to express my emotions properly. But my two daughters can do it clearly,” says Rahul.

The platform also provides a medium for emotional expression through emojis that represent six primary emotional states, allowing users to convey their feelings without verbalising them.

Rahul says that Zoala's founders ensured the system goes beyond merely identifying problems; it actively encourages social interactions as well. The chatbot is tuned to ask questions about students' daily routines, prompting them to increase physical interactions and engage in activities with their family and friends.

Zoala provides a separate dashboard for school authorities and records feedback from them. Teachers and counsellors are required to document information about the steps they took in response to an alert, specifying whether they met the student face-to-face.

The major difficulty counsellors face is on the home front. Many children are doted on by their parents who strive to provide them with everything. As technological changes bring in a culture of instant gratification, many youngsters face difficulty when they grow up and don't get what they desire. Developing resilience in them is a major focus of the Zoala model.

Rahul notes that their experience in Singapore shows childhood well-being challenges are usually linked to bullying, disputes between parents, comparison with siblings, lack of acceptance by schoolmates, and scolding received at school. When such incidents happen, children often withdraw into themselves and might slowly develop low self-esteem, paving the way for mental health challenges.

In Western countries, studies have shown that social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can influence the perception of pre-teens and are major factors in teen depression cases. Rahul notes that the role of social media among Asian youth might not be as damaging yet, but issues like online bullying can still cause problems.

Zoala’s data shows that the single most influential factor linked to teen mental health issues in Asia is the role of parents. Parents often dictate what life should be like for their children, from their school days to their marriage.

These dynamics are also shaped by generational changes. In the past, children relied on parents for information and guidance. Nowadays, they have hundreds of different outlets that can provide this, some of which are beyond their parents' capabilities.

The role of modern-day parents has transformed. Rather than attempting to dictate their choices, parents can focus on instilling good values in their children and witnessing their actions align with these values.

“But if you try telling them what they are doing is wrong, the conversation will abruptly end there. Trust me, I know this, as I am the dad to two girls,” says Rahul with a laugh.

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