Esther Wong, an educator at the El Shaddai Refugee Learning Centre, said many refugee children, some as young as 12, shouldered the huge responsibility of caring for their families.
“No one sees their daily struggles but immediately labels them as troublemakers. The best way to help them break away from this (stereotype) is through education,” she told FMT during a gotong-royong event held on Sunday.
She said that with education, these children would be able to show their abilities instead of being put in a box and disregarded by society.
“It will also build their self-esteem and give them a sense of hope that they can achieve their dreams,” she said.
Wong, 49, said she hoped that by equipping them with knowledge, they would be able to survive when they were resettled elsewhere.
“They have so much untapped potential and I want to help shape that.
“I hope they will grow up to be leaders who will give back to their community when they get a chance,” she said.
Wong has been with El Shaddai since late 2018, working closely with Refugee Academy’s founder, Shafiullah. She teaches the children primary-level English, Mathematics and Science, as well as conversational English to adults several nights a week.
Some of her students from the centre, who assisted in the gotong-royong, told FMT they were glad to receive an education to help them achieve their dreams.
One student, named Foyas, said he wanted to be proficient in English so he could become an author one day.
“I want to write about kings and Rohingya,” said the 15-year-old, adding that he still had much to learn.
He also said he believed that learning the language would help him communicate with Malaysians better. “Maybe then they will understand us, and we can work to help each other.”
Foyas came to Malaysia when he was 12, after fleeing Myanmar with other members of his family. However, he longed to return home someday to see his older sister who was left behind.
Another student, Hafiz, 12, said he wanted to be a teacher someday, citing the tutors at the centre as his inspiration.
“I have to work very hard, and I think I can become a good teacher,” he said.
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Nor said learning English would help them when they get resettled in countries like the US or Canada.
“Some of our friends are already in those countries and we want to go there too and restart our life,” he said.
The gotong-royong at Padang Sentosa, initiated by the Klang City Council, was attended by 90 people comprising 70 refugees, mostly Rohingya, and at least 20 local residents.