A life less ordinary

Young Myanmar refugees
By SHARMILA NAIR



Naw Sarah (left) and her friend heling each other to practise saying a few phrases in English.

NAW Amanda was a little nervous about this interview. She often paused to search for the right words before answering a question, but that didn’t stop her from chatting in English.

Amanda kept glancing at her friend Naw Sarah, who spoke a little more confidently, and who often helped her form her sentences. Amanda squeezed her best friend’s palm whenever she was unsure, and Sarah returned the gesture with a look that said “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

That seemed to get Amanda going.

Amanda and Sarah are 13-year-old Karen refugees from Myanmar. Their parents had to flee the Irrawady Division to escape poverty, and oppression by the military junta, who persecuted them because of their race and religion. Myanmar has been in political unrest for over five decades and remains one of the world’s poorest nations. The families escaped Myanmar, hoping to find a better life in Malaysia.

Amanda and her family have been living in Kuala Lumpur for the last three months, while Sarah, her older sister and parents have been here since October 2009.

As refugees have no access to legal employment, they are usually vulnerable to exploitation and often earn minimal wage. Amanda’s father works as a dish washer, and barely makes enough to support the family. The situation isn’t any different for Sarah, whose father works at a nearby home for the elderly.

These girls face an uncertain future. There is no telling how long they’ll remain in Malaysia as refugees, or where they’ll be repatriated to. They are homesick, and hope to return to Myanmar some day.

“I want live in Australia or New Zealand. I want to be either a successful doctor or a fashion designer there,” said Amanda, determinedly.

But one thing that puts a smile on their faces everyday is being surrounded by their peers, learning and playing at the Malaysian Karen Organisation School (MKOS). It is a community school set up by the Karen people in KL, with hopes of bringing a sense of stability for refugee children like Amanda and Sarah.

There are over 88,000 refugees and asylum seekers registered with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia and 19,000 of them are children below the age of 18. About 10,600 of these children are of school-going age, though fewer than half of them have access to any kind of education.

“We learn English, Science and Mathematics. My favourite subjects are Mathematics and Science because they are very interesting,” said Sarah with a smile.

There are 38 children in MKOS, and the community school also provides meals and accomodation for them throughout the week. These kids only return to their respective families during the weekends.

“I like being in this school with my friends. We talk and play and learn together and there’s so much to do. It’s really fun,” said Amanda.

“She’s my best friend,” said Sarah, pointing towards Amanda, who grinned ear to ear upon hearing that.
The children are never bored as they have their whole day planned out for them. After waking up at 7am every day, the kids prepare for classes which start at 10am. The school session ends at 3pm after which they are free to do anything they want. They usually read, clean the classroom or watch TV.

“I like to watch Hannah Montana. She’s my favourite singer,” said Sarah, who aspires to be a singer as famous as Miley Cyrus, the artiste who plays Hannah Montana. Although talented, Sarah was too shy to sing a song during the interview, but her melodious voice was evident during the Dong dance rehearsal.

The girls, and their classmates, were busy rehearsing the traditional Burmese dance routine that they will perform at the World Refugee Day celebration in KL Sentral this weekend.

World Refugee Day is celebrated on June 20, to recognise the courage of refugees in rebuilding their lives despite the horrors they have faced, and to create awareness and garner public support for creating a humanitarian space for refugees.

This also marks the first time the children from MKOS will be peforming in public. They are usually not allowed to leave the school premises during the weekdays, and are not encouraged to explore the city on their own.

For most of them, this is their also first time seeing the Malaysian public and they are eager to show off their talents.

“We’ve been practising this dance for over two months. I’m very nervous about my performance but I’m also excited as well,” said Amanda.

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Don’t forget to catch the MKOS children’s performance at the World Refugee Day celebration at KL Sentral on June 19 and 20. There will be exhibition booths set up by various refugee communities that will showcase their heritage and culture, crafts and food in hopes of generating some income for refugee community development initiatives.

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