The Sahabat Refugee Project provides education for refugee children in Malaysia who do not have access to education or health services. We have a total of 450 refugee students from the age of 4 to 18 years old. We provide preschool, primary, secondary education and opportunities to take the IGCSE examinations. Additionally, we also provide meals in school, counseling services (mental health) and also primary healthcare services through our Healthcare Centre - all at no charge for refugees.
The Malaysian Government has not ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention and currently there is no national legislative framework in place for the protection of refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia. Refugees and asylum seekers lack access to basic services, including education, health and employment. For those that may benefit from a resettlement programme, the process can take years, leaving children at risk of missing crucially important developmental opportunities.
MSRI provides formal education for refugee students aged 4 to 18 years old. Our school serves 450 students to date, and operating at maximum capacity. We have over 130 secondary students and education is free for efugees. Our teachers are also refugees with the relevant experience and qualification. Many students are experiencing trauma from past experiences, behavioral issues, learning difficulties and special needs. To help them, we provide mental health services by licensed professionals.
At the school, we not only focus on academics but also put emphasis on good behavior. We help give the students some sense of normalcy to help them cope with their situation while also providing them with education. We have had many instances where students were able to catch up (educationally) to their age levels after being resettled in host countries. Additionally, students who take up the IGCSE examinations were able to continue their studies or be gainfully employed after being resettled.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
