We are a Global Perspectives IGCSE Team from Year 11 in Cempaka International Schools, Damansara Heights, working to make a difference in the path to education rights for the refugee youth of the Hope Learning Center, a refugee school in Malaysia. Donations will be made to the Move for Hope initiative, to provide vital educational resources in a critical time of virtual education: internet access and technological resources.

Under the topic of human rights, our focal point of the study is the denied access to formal education towards minority groups, refugees, and asylum seekers; specifically, how traditionally ingrained beliefs and acts against these vulnerable communities affect the quality of education they receive in Malaysia. This includes, but is not limited to, the education resources allocated for them and education opportunities available to them.

Our Aims to Make a Difference

Our project observes the structures that have caused these events and ways that they can be solved, in the interest of protecting fundamental human rights, especially the rights to education for all. The situation regarding education for refugees has been a problem that has existed for decades in Malaysia, thus we are raising awareness over such issues and the methods on how we can prevent them from becoming more difficult to overcome. As the modern age is moving towards equality in as many aspects as applicable at the moment, there is no doubt Malaysia should as well, and is fully capable of. To put it simply, these kids have resorted to Malaysia in hopes of a better standard of living. Not only do legal frameworks prevent them from having opportunities, chances, and choices like many of us, they are not entitled to basic human rights under the label of 'refugee'.

Fundraising Initiative

As a part of our project, we have started a fundraising initiative: a virtual charity run on the ‘Pacer App’. By the end of the 2-week challenge, our team will match donations to the top 3 highest ranked participants’ number of steps, divided by a thousand. For example, if the top 3 runners reach a collective total of 850,000 steps, we will donate RM850!

If you’d like to take part in the challenge, compete for the most steps and raise money for charity at the same time, join using this link: https://www.mypacer.com/challenges/BTC1274?short_id=s9HGSRYW

Additionally, if you’d like to help us further and contribute to the cause, complete this 5-10 minute public awareness survey to help with our primary research that helps us carve our path: https://cf7bey2p7ie.typeform.com/to/Gna7czeP

With love,

Umar Fazlan, Keshav Shanker and Ariel Gan