The Malaysian Social Research Institute provides case management, medical consultation and counselling and education (kindergarten, primary and secondary as well as adult English education) to refugees that currently reside in Malaysia.

The Sahabat Support Centre (SSC) began in January 2011 to provide services to refugees from small minority communities predominately from the Middle East and Africa including: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan and Nigeria. In the last five years, there has been a large increase of refugee children and unaccompanied minors that are seeking the services of MSRI. Approximately 30% of the refugee population that MSRI provides services to are under the age of eighteen. Some families face poverty and hardship under these circumstances. Yet, out of this situation, a warm and wonderful MSRI community as flourished out of solidarity and passion.

 

In my third UVic CAPI blog post I get personal about my transformative experience at the Malaysian Social Research Institute working with Andrea Fernandez, MSRI’s School Manager and the importance of asking for help (and asking to help).