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Support Ideas Academy - Stephanie

  • 01/06/2019 - 01/09/2019

Stephanie is participating in Support Ideas Academy, a project of Young Refugee Cause, in providing education to all.
and is fundraising for Stichting Young Refugee Cause

I'm raising money for a cause close to my heart. Please help us make ideas academy self sustainable.

My Story

As most of you may have noticed.. I talk a lot about the Ideas academy.  It all started about 10 years ago when I first moved to Kuala Lumpur. I met a wonderfully funny & crazy mum Andrea (2 sets of twins hence the craziness) who, during one of her 'G&T mummy playdate while kids go mad in garden', told me about a primary school for refugees she would teach in. She brought me along one day and after that..I could not leave . Why? Because once you get really involved,  its hard to ignore and sit back. 

These kids were so excited just to get any attention from us 'teachers". Any knowledge they could get, any distraction from the sadness, confusion, fear that they felt, would make them happy. So simple. I just needed to show up and offer them some English words ..and they were happy. The tiny room they would all sit & sweat in, on tiny stools , smiling at me and waiting to be enlightened, engaged, distracted. Its heartbreaking .Then to come home and see the amazing schools our children get to attend without any thought to it.

Most refugee children stop school at 11, 12yrs old, as there are only 3 schools offering secondary education  ( ideas academy being one of the three). When it matters most, they would have to stop, and join the work force. This is why we need ideas academy. They need to know that they need to persevere on those tiny stools, in that sweaty tiny room, because there is more to come. They need to have hope that they can create a future and change their situation. This is only possible if they have access to education.

So from teaching in this school, to getting involved in fundraising initiatives,  and then partnering with Ideas to create the Ideas Academy , with a batch of 25 students in 2014 , we now have 175 students following the Cambridge IGCSE curriculum. 

Refugees in Malaysia are given no legal rights. None. They are allowed to blend in but they have to fend for themselves. They are waiting in no mans land to be given a country ‘home’ but this could take years. Its not their fault, and its just not right.    

Ideas academy is working hard to become self sustainable by opening up to paying students from low income families who may not fit into the public school system. This is crucial to becoming a self reliant entity so we can grow and not depend on sponsors and donors. But to do this we need your help! Any donation big or small would make you a part of this possibility. Please help!
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Recent Donors

  • Gular Coates

    I know personally how important for those kids to have the right for education and support. And I know how hard you all work to give them that opportunity. Thank you Stephanie and Jan-Willem for all your hard work. Good luck with all the great work you do.

    MYR 300 06/23/2019 02:04:49 AM UTC

  • Judy P

    This is such a worthwhile cause with noteworthy results. I hope you achieve your goal and the school will continue to be viable. Keep up the good work!

    EUR 100 06/16/2019 03:58:52 PM UTC

  • Celine Van Lammeren

    Goooo Steph! Keep up the great work!!!

    EUR 100 06/09/2019 11:15:31 AM UTC

  • Vicki Bzovy

    MYR 300 06/06/2019 08:57:47 AM UTC

  • Philipp Weghmann

    EUR 100 06/05/2019 08:16:17 AM UTC

  • Joost de Langen

    Great work Steph!

    EUR 100 06/04/2019 04:08:31 PM UTC

  • Catherine Graham

    I hope you raise what’s needed. 😍

    EUR 100 06/03/2019 09:27:57 AM UTC

  • Eloise Welfare

    MYR 300 06/03/2019 01:30:46 AM UTC

  • Nicole en Gerard Van Aken

    Hope you can save the school. We saw the show in March and the enthousiasm and pleasure with which the children tried their best and also the dedication of the staff to give these children a hope in the futur. All the best, it’s worth donating to this school.

    EUR 200 06/02/2019 12:37:57 PM UTC

  • Mariea Sharpe

    Hope you meet your target x

    GBP 30 06/02/2019 11:26:08 AM UTC

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