Volunteers help to provide basic education for refugee children

By CHERYL POO
star2@thestar.com.my

The children obediently take their places in the kitchen when meals are served. Everyone helps with preparation and cleaning.

Loving charity work: ‘It is a privilege and an honour to serve the refugees,’ says Mink Ong, a volunteer at United Learning Centre (ULC).

Dedicated volunteers rally together to provide basic education for refugee children who do not have access to schools.

MOST children would kick up a fuss when it is time to visit the dentist, but not this Myanmar refugee child who is lying quietly on a wooden table at a refugee community centre in Kuala Lumpur, as a dentist hovers over him with a probe.

Dental treatment is a luxury that five-year-old Van Zaw Nay Oo and his friends have never experienced back in their homeland.

It is a sweltering afternoon and dentist Dr Reuben How, 33, wipes his forehead as his wife, Jasmine, 38, hands him another piece of equipment.

Dr How and Jasmine, a lecturer, are among the new volunteers at United Learning Centre (ULC) who are committed to doing their bit for the community of Myanmarese refugees who are awaiting resettlement in a third country. ULC is one of the many such centres across Kuala Lumpur and Selangor where the refugee children have access to some basic education.

Every Wednesday, Dr How and his wife will be at ULC to provide dental care for the children.

Nestled in a secluded corner in a residential area in Kuala Lumpur, ULC is staffed by Myanmar refugees and supported by NGOs, charitable organisations and volunteers.

Myanmarese pastor Jonathan Tan and his wife, Grace, helm the centre which accommodates 90 children, aged three to 15. It also doubles up as a daycare centre and home for 25 orphans.

Classes run from Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm. In the evenings, the remaining 65 chidren return to their neighbouring homes where they live with their families or relatives.

Volunteer Mink Ong, 51, managing director of a luxury goods company, explains that this current single-storey terrace is “the most luxurious premises the group has had” in the last four years since its inception.

At that time, Tan had just arrived in Malaysia, and Grace, who was his childhood friend, joined him the following year.

They hail from a farming village in Matupi, in Chin State, Myanmar. The Chins are a tribe from western Myanmar who face discrimination from the ruling military junta. Although Tan and his wife are university graduates, they could not find employment back home.

“Tan started looking out for several street kids. The number quickly grew to 50. Imagine having so many kids who are crammed into a small, unpartitioned unit with two filthy toilets,” recalls Ong, who had heard about their plight through her friends.

They badly needed a decent community centre, but Tan and his peers had already emptied their wallets for the dingy unit.

Ong stepped in and got her business contacts and social circle to help out. She was actively involved in raising funds to relocate the children.

She jokingly refers to herself as “chief beggar”. It took three relocations before the group arrived at its current premises last November.

Grace prepares breakfast, lunch and dinner for the children. Her young charges are ever thankful for the love and care they receive, and chip in to help in whatever capacity they can.

The older kids who are above 15, work as cleaners, waiters and promoters in food outlets and shops in the neighbourhood.

“The refugee children learn to communicate well in English, so they have an edge there, which makes it easier for them to secure jobs,” says Ong.

For Tan and his wife, there is no off-day. It is a heavy responsibility being mentor, counsellor and parents to the 25 orphans. Besides tending to the children’s physical needs, the couple have the daunting task of ministering to their emotional needs, too.

Although the children feel safe now, past tragedies continue to haunt them and it is not unusual for some of the children to wake up in the middle of the night crying for their folks.

Shortage of job opportunities in their homeland and the lure of greener pastures in neighbouring countries have contributed to the migration of thousands of Myanmarese, and this has created an opportunity for human traffickers to lure victims to other countries with false promises.

“These poor Myanmarese do not have enough money for the entire family, so they pool their resources to send their children off with hopes of a better future,” explains Ong.

She holds up the picture of an 11-year-old boy who arrived in Malaysia two years ago.

Pastor Jonathan Tan and Grace, with their son, Blessing. The couple serve as mentor and parents to 25 orphans who find a home in ULC.

 

Along with a dozen other children who were herded out of Myanmar, Ong recounts how this boy watched in horror as the trafficker bundled a wailing infant with newspaper and tossed him into the choppy ocean.

Every refugee child has a story to tell, and they remember the horror.

“We often need to distract them from the brutal reality in their lives. We assure them that they are safe now and help them count the blessings that they enjoy here,” says Grace.

Currently there are about a dozen volunteer teachers, both locals and expatriates, who help out at ULC. Their tasks range from cooking to teaching and fundraising.

“These children are intelligent and streetsmart. Their lack of entitlement makes them good, hungry students,” observes volunteer Keith Law, 46, who has been teaching at the centre since last year. Law has devoted his life to community causes and helps out at various charity organisations.

Every year, thousands of Myanmarese refugees flee their homeland in hopes of finding resettlement in recipient countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada and Norway. As the immigration process for refugees is a lengthy one, neighbouring countries like Thailand and Malaysia serve as a transitional asylum where they learn to adapt to the modern world before leaving permanently for First World nations.

“It is crucial for the children to understand and speak English so that they can assimilate into their new environment. Otherwise they may be ostracised,” explains Mike Quan, chief coordinator of SIBKL Bless Ministry, the outreach arm of a church in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, that has been pouring voluntary and funding support into ULC.

As of 2011, there are more than 100,000 Myanmar refugees in Malaysia; 15,000 of them are children of school-going age. According to a UNHCR estimate, only 6,000 of these children attend schools which are set up by the various Myanmar community-based groups with the help of NGOs or voluntary organisations.

According to information gathered from these refugee communities, there are about 70 such learning centres around the country. Many of them are denomination-based whereas ULC is open to all Myanmar refugee children regardless of their ethnicity or religion. The children at ULC come from various tribes and they converse among themselves in the common Myanmar language.

As a kid with white markings on his face runs pass, Ong explains that many refugees maintain their cultural practices initially, but after a while, they let go and are ready to move on as they settle down in their new homeland.

Ong is always on the lookout for opportunities to help the children, and has engaged a manicurist to teach the young girls, manicure and pedicure services, once a week. Kind sponsors have donated the necessary kits.

“Manicurists are always in demand around the world,” Ong explains. “It’s a good skill that can help the girls to make a living wherever they go.”

While the road to resettlement is an arduous one, it is heartening to note that many parties have come together to meet the needs of such groups.

“It is an honour and a privilege to serve them,” says Ong.

Funds from kind donors are always appreciated, and volunteers who can teach English are especially welcomed,

“These learning centres give the children a sense of continuity in their lives. Here they are provided with basic needs like food, education and refuge. They find love and solace, and the strength to rise above their circumstance. As you spend more time with the children, they open up to you and welcome you into their lives,” says another volunteer, D. Ross. Ross is a retired investor who teaches at ULC three times a week.

“When a government supports apartheid and practises discrimination, we have a moral obligation to help the weak and oppressed. Every day, we can do our bit to make the world a better place,” adds Ross.

* How you can help

UNITED Learning Centre needs more volunteers to teach the Myanmar refugee children. A structured syllabus and cohesive workbooks will be provided.

Individuals or organisations are welcome to plan outings and events for the children.

School books, stationery sets, classroom equipment and furniture, clothing and children’s storybooks (in good condition) are always welcome.

Well-wishers who wish to contribute in any capacity can contact Mink Ong (mink.business@gmail.com/019-6001733) or Mike Quan (quanmikey01@hotmail.com/016-2912113).