In Jakarta, refugees without legal status who suffer from eyesight problems are unable to access local healthcare services. Since Indonesia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, they do not have an obligation to abide by it. Refugees and Asylum Seekers Information Centre (RAIC) is an organisation founded and led by refugees in…
It all started when a group of students at the Fugee School challenged the idea that girls should be given the same opportunities as boys. The newly formed youth-led Project Stand Up (PSU) initiative became a platform for supporting youth leadership, particularly around issues of gender equality and equal access to learning opportunities. They brainstormed…
HOST International, with the support of Thailand’s Department of Children and Youth, has made it possible for 27 families (51 children and 26 adults, all mothers or female caregivers and one father) to be released from immigration detention and government shelters into the Thai community. HOST International, working under the auspice of Peaceway Foundation, was…
By: Patnarin Wongkad, Case Manager – HOST International Thailand In honour of World Refugee Day, HOST International spoke with Nay Mun, a Christian-Jarai (also known as Montagnard) refugee from Vietnam. Nay is a husband, father of five children, and currently on bail under Thai immigration’s law for his serious medical condition. When we asked Nay…
HOST International has been fortunate in sourcing three talented volunteers to continue the work in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Jakarta. Meet our new Candlelighters: Marleen, Mereani, and Matilda. Meet Marleen Marleen is based in Kuala Lumpur with local NGO, Payong that works with refugees in the areas of education, enterprise and empowerment. She will be…
School-aged children should be maintaining a nutrient-rich diet as it is vital for their growth and brain development. However, young refugees in Malaysia have extremely limited options for schooling and even less access to healthy food options. Many of the students at ideas Academy experience malnutrition and food insecurity. The meals that they get at…
As a UNHCR-registered refugee from Myanmar, Khai was able to find work as a waiter in a restaurant in Penang, Malaysia. Unfortunately, he was fired after two and a half months on the job but his employer only paid him for one month. Since Malaysia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, they…
HOST International is currently piloting a program in Thailand to support up to 30 families of refugees and asylum seekers to exit detention. We have been working with the Thai government and building partnerships with local NGOs to find alternatives to detention for families and as a result, we’ve formed a small but efficient team…
RECODE, a Malaysian refugee-focused coding academy, has just joined HOST International as an education and livelihoods programme. Its co-founder Jeanne Makinadjian will also be a part of the HOST team as Program Manager and will lead the implementation of the program alongside a local Malaysian team. Jeanne, welcome to HOST. Can you tell us about…
The “CandleLighters” Volunteer Program is an initiative of HOST International to provide development opportunities to staff by supporting them on volunteer assignments overseas. These opportunities are designed to enhance the capacity of overseas refugee host organisations that are closely aligned with the purpose, objectives and values of HOST International. Lisa is an employee of HOST…
Over the years, thousands of refugees have settled in Malaysia but as displaced people they do not have legal work status and have difficulties accessing rights for education and healthcare . As a result, they are not able to make use of their skills and are unable to create steady income. From little things,…
By: Jason Spierings, CandleLighters Volunteer It was about this time last year that my former manager contacted me about HOST International’s CandleLighters position. I had just finished my Master of Humanitarian Assistance and was keen to further develop my experience internationally. I jumped at the chance as it’s been a dream of mine to work…
By Callan Lawrence For millions of young refugees around the world, education is a bridge to opportunity and a more secure life. But those same young boys and girls are often prevented from attending school by more basic obligations, including caring for younger siblings, cooking, cleaning and other household chores. This is especially common for…
By Fatimah and Sabri We experienced many challenges and lessons throughout Project Stand Up and it continued as we started training PSU Champions. The goal of the training was to get PSU Champions confident about sharing ideas, challenging common misconceptions and inspiring them to make positive changes in the community. It would also build their…
Social workers need more guidance on how to best bring people through prolonged displacement and uncertainty towards a positive future. Image: Fancycrave on Unsplash. By David Keegan, CEO Becoming forcibly displaced throws a person into many challenging situations as they journey towards a better life. They invariably find themselves facing multiple barriers that include physical,…
The 7th Annual Asia Pacific Consultation of Refugee Rights Representatives from Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, and Japan. Image: APRRN. By David Keegan, CEO We are in a time where governments and NGOs are asking, and being asked, questions about how we can do things differently to meet the protection needs of the world’s…
Students and participants at Project Stand Up. By By Jessica Chapman, Chief Operating Officer, Payong Project Stand Up is an initiative that started with one question: “Why are there only two girls in your class?” This question led to a series of reflections and the unpacking of gender norms and stereotypes among a group of…
By Jason Spierings, CandleLighters Volunteer Earlier this month I had the privilege of attending the Ideas Academy Class of 2018 graduation where 10 refugee students graduated with an international British high school diploma (IGCSE). The school started in 2014, and this was the first group to have completed a full high school program. The…
Ms Abeera Abdullah is a student at Fugee School, in Malaysia, an author and a member of the Project Stand Up youth team as well as an inspiring leader My name is Abeera Abdullah, I’m an 18-year-old student at Fugee School*, in Malaysia. I’ve lived here since 2016 after arriving as a refugee of Somali…
By Jason Spierings Throughout my volunteer work for Fugee School, through the CandleLighters Volunteer Program, I have been working on a mapping and coordination project in collaboration with the UNHCR education unit. The UNHCR has not previously been able to focus on secondary education, so there is little information available about what schools are providing…
By Zoe Stewart Last week, in the CandleLighters Volunteer Program in Malaysia, I spent a few days shadowing one of SUKA Society’s Case Managers, as he met with newly-referred unaccompanied minors who are living in the community in Kuala Lumpur. From this experience, it was made very apparent the desperate need for SUKAs Unaccompanied and…
For most of her life Nawa watched on as other children went to school. As a refugee, and a girl at that, she was told there was no place for her in the classroom. At 16, Nawa became a student at the Fugee School in Malaysia. Source. By David Keegan, HOST International CEO South East…
The “CandleLighters” Volunteer Program is an initiative of HOST International to provide development opportunities to staff by supporting them on volunteer assignments overseas. These opportunities are designed to enhance the capacity of overseas refugee host organisations that are closely aligned with the purpose, objectives and values of HOST International. Zoe, 31, is a few days…
The “CandleLighters” Volunteer Program is an initiative of HOST International to provide development opportunities to staff by supporting them on volunteer assignments overseas. These opportunities are designed to enhance the capacity of overseas refugee host organisations that are closely aligned with the purpose, objectives and values of HOST International. Jason, 31, is a few days…