Meeting Rohingya children’s daily needs

Rohingya refugee pupils at the Al-Akhlas school in Selayang.

ABOUT 100 Rohingya refugee pupils study at the Al-Akhlas school in Selayang, which is a United Nations-registered education centre.

Apart from being provided basic education, the children who had been psychologically and physically abused when fleeing their home in Myanmar, are also helped to adjust to their new surroundings.

School founder Mark Bayoud, an Australian of Lebanese descent who also helps to manage Al-Akhlas, said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated that the Rohingya ethnic minority need assistance.

“The UN declared the community as the ‘worst of the worst’. Some had entered Malaysia by walking from Myanmar, while others were brought in by smugglers who had abused them.

Bayound said, “The people are fleeing for their lives. Some of the children here have no families. The problem is that there is no clear path for them.

“I want to give the children the opportunity to achieve their dreams of becoming lawyers and doctors.

“I don’t want them to grow up being scared. I want to give them the opportunity to become leaders.

“It’s very hard for the Rohingya to get proper education as they are always oppressed,” he said.

Bayoud said he set up the school after meeting Arfat Ganumia, a refugee who read law back home and who is now an Islamic Studies teacher at the school.

“I was impressed with his passion to educate the children and from there, we agreed to set up the school,” he said, adding that they managed to do so after receiving some funds.

Bayoud, 51, who is a semi-retired consultant specialist in banking and trade finance, added that the traumatised children were less afraid now and seemed more happy.

He said the school premises used to be a cyber cafe but it had slowly started to look like a school.

“We managed to set up an environment where the Rohingya could help each other. The teachers who were Rohingya refugees, are now teaching the children.

“But the problem here is also to remove the stereotype as Malaysians have a misconception about refugees,” he said, adding that Malaysians were also a generous lot.

Bayoud, who has been in Malaysia for nine years, hoped more Malaysians would help tutor the children, get them school uniforms and provide food for their families to break fast.

As of April this year, there are 53,410 Rohingya refugees registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia.

To offer help can visit the Facebook page “Lend a hand - KL”.