Child refugees explore their digital potential

Participants of 42KL’s Code4TheFuture at the conclusion of the programme in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur.

35 students develop basic coding and critical thinking skills

IN conjunction with World Refugee Day, 42 Kuala Lumpur (42KL), a computer-coding school supported by Sunway Group, organised a programme aimed at introducing coding and igniting digital curiosity among refugee students.

The Code4TheFuture programme involved over 35 refugee students aged 10 to 14 from the Children’s Training Centre (CTC) and Project R.ED, both of which are dedicated learning centres for refugee communities in Kuala Lumpur.

In Malaysia, access to education for refugee children remains a significant challenge.

Recent statistics indicate that only a small percentage of refugee children have access to formal education.

Recognising this pressing issue, Code4TheFuture seeks to bridge the educational gap and empower refugee students with essential skills for the digital age.

“The programme is rooted in the philosophy of 42KL, which is the unwavering belief that every student should have equal access to quality education, regardless of their background,” said 42 Malaysia chief operations officer Jeff Sandhu.

“By introducing coding through Scratch, an intuitive and visual programming language, we not only spark interest in young learners but also expose them to the world of tech.

“Furthermore, the programme fosters important soft skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity.”

Code4TheFuture, guided by student volunteers, took place at the 42KL campus in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur.

Using Scratch, the young learners worked with their peers to create story video animations under theme “Imagine a world where...”.

Through designing and coding their own projects such as interactive stories, animations and games, the youngsters explored their imagination, experimented with different concepts and showcased their unique perspectives.

Scratch, an open and freely accessible programming platform developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, allows students to create interactive stories, animations and games, fostering a continuous learning process that can be pursued independently.

“Our deepest gratitude goes to Sunway Education Group, our student volunteers, CTC and Project R.ED for their active involvement, which made Code4TheFuture a meaningful initiative,” said Sandhu.

“We intend to build upon this initiative, continuously refining our approach and expanding our efforts to reach more disadvantaged communities.”

CTC principal Franklin Morais said, “Our students explored creativity, problem-solving and teamwork in an exciting way through the initiative.

“We are proud to witness their growth and accomplishments as they develop basic coding skills and unleash their potential.”

Project R.ED co-founder Hilda Paviter Kaur said, “Code4TheFuture goes beyond teaching coding skills.

“It empowers students to develop critical thinking, collaboration, and digital literacy.

“On World Refugee Day, we celebrate the students’ resilience and determination as we equip them with character-building skills to be the best version of themselves,” she said.