The Project: The TreeHouse Society
A total of 250 families live in Langkawi Island now, those who left their homes due to the crisis there. I visited them for a few weeks, to learn more about this ethnic community. Their small learning centre was housing about 35 refugee children from the ages of 5 to 12 years old, where most of them still do not speak, read or write proper Malay or English language. So we decided to rent bigger space, create a new learning centre, bring more together and give them the education they deserve. Currently we are teaching the kids languages, Malay and English, as most of them don’t speak or cannot read or write English well. The youngest kids from ages to 5 to 7 years old are still learning alphabets, writing skills and the older kids from 8 to 12 years old are already learning some Math too. We also love doing art workshops with them, like making drawings! Social studies is vital too, as they are learning to clean after themselves, making crafts, mainly a space where they can have fun, create and be themselves. This happens more when there are volunteers teaching and helping out. The new learning centre is located in local town called Air Hangat, Langkawi Island. It’s not just about providing a new learning centre with just basic needs but to create a comfortable learning environment for all these children, with a proper structure, sustainable creative ideas and a supporting community. Sustaining a refugee learning centre, on a grassroots level isn’t always easy, it comes with it’s own unexpected challenges. Mainly with fundings and partnerships, as it takes money to pay monthly rent, buy teaching supplies, workbooks, up-keeping and running expenses.
“They shine, when we empower.”
Click the link to read more: https://imkiran.com/projects/children-of-rohingya/
This project is managed by iMKIRAN Nation, a registered grassroots social enterprise, founded by documentary photographer, Kiran Kreer
