Westgate Refugee Support

We work in Malaysia where the government is a reluctant host to many asylum seekers and refugees from the region. One of the largest groups of refugees now living in Malaysia are from Myanmar. Religious persecution and military action in Myanmar has driven hundreds of thousands of citizens to flee to nearby countries, including Malaysia. Whilst the world media has focused on the Rohingya massacre and subsequent mass flight to Bangladesh, other minority groups have also been displaced. We work primarily with the Chin, Kachin and Karen refugees who have also fled forced military service and religious persecution. As a small committed bunch from Melbourne’s West, we raise funds here in Australia so that we can make regular donations to the schools and refugee support agencies in Malaysia. Our members, who are all volunteers, visit the refugees frequently throughout the year to provide financial, material and professional help in a variety of ways. We encourage others to visit with us to teach in the refugee schools, or assist with training refugee teachers who are teaching refugee children without formal qualifications. We know that our visits provide hope and reassurance that the world has not forgotten their plight in the long wait for resettlement to a third country.