In September 2020, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia approached ElShaddai to collaborate on a shelter project for refugee women and children at risk. When this invitation was extended to us, we saw this as an opportunity to grow as an organization in our capacity to better serve the refugee community in Klang Valley.
With this shelter project, we seek to provide protection, rehabilitation, and self-development opportunities to refugee single mothers, women, and boys and girls under the age of 18, who experience sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and other risks, which includes eviction due to financial struggle, homelessness, child or forced marriages, as well as domestic abuse and sexual violence.
We have two shelter homes; one for women and girls, and one for boys. Our main shelter personnel consists of two house guardians for each shelter, caseworkers, project coordinator, and volunteers. From September 2020 to April 2021, we have taken in refugee women, boys, and girls from Myanmar, Afghanistan, India, Somalia, South Sudan, and Iran. Currently, we have two single mothers with infants, one single woman, three girls, and two boys at our shelters.
The primary services that ElShaddai is able to provide to our residents include education, a safe placement, basic needs, psychosocial support, skill-training (air-cond servicing, soap-making) and extracurricular activities. We also seek external services from other organizations such as Health Equity Initiatives (HEI), Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO), and Buddhist Tzuchi Free Clinic for mental health support and healthcare needs.
A typical day of our shelter boys and girls may look something like this: going and coming back from school, doing homework, after-school extra classes taught by volunteers, a short nap, exercise and sports, dancing to k-pop bands in front of the TV, listening to music, cooking, cleaning, fellowship time, and bedtime. At our shelters, we are constantly looking for opportunities that will enrich the lives of the residents. Recently, we have just started a weekly online art therapy session at our boys shelter with a Singaporean volunteer. For mothers, apart from taking care of their babies, they are also engaged in online English classes with volunteers, hobbies, and fellowship time. On weekends, both shelters visit the park together, play badminton, and have occasional outings to waterfalls.
challenges, their will to survive. It is the decision to not let the past define who they are, and the courage to move forward with the brightest smiles. Each of the residents at the shelter have their own strengths. If given the opportunity and resources, they will be empowered to discover their own potential and grow in their strengths, be it drawing, sewing, dancing, mathematics, or even qualities like being a good listener, hard worker, and leader. Despite our limitations and weaknesses, we hope to do the best we can for the best interest of the residents of the shelter. We hope to be a safe space for healing and growing, to learn and to fall.
