Crisis for BBBB supported Myanmar Refugee Families

Building Bridges Beyond Borders (Malaysia), Just Volunteers! News 7 May 2020

Over recent weeks former volunteers from the BBBB programme have responded with enormous generosity to the plight of the refugee community.

We want to express our deepest thanks to all!

BBBB Director, Dr Saradha, with families at the distribution point. Only one family is allowed in a time to keep social distancing

In Malaysia, as in countries around the globe, there has been a government enforced lockdown over recent weeks in response to Covid-19. This has meant that the casual work carried out by Chin refugees in the community has dried up which has left the families of the children we teach quite literally without the means to feed themselves. (The Malaysian government has provided food for many hundreds of thousands of refugees in the country but this group – although certified as bona fide refugees by the UNHCR- is not in a camp and receives no outside help.)

On alternate weeks the 40 + families receive rice and cooking oil or a food package

In response to this problem our partner, Soroptimists International Damansara (SID), made major donations and began a fundraising drive.

Responding to the drive, volunteers who had worked at the refugee school over recent years, and their families and friends, showed enormous generosity. SID has received sufficient funds to help provide food parcels for the families until at least the end of June when we hope the economy will begin to open up more. The fundraising site closed on May 31st and exceeded its fundraising target.

We will be providing updates shortly on the situation for these families in KL. (And details of final numbers are being provided to all donors.)

This week’s food package contains fresh vegetables, eggs, milo, potatoes, onions, galic and instant noodles.
Each family signs for the food package they receive each week
Without your support we would not be able to help these families

Thank you!

Ella recalls her time volunteering at Building Bridges Beyond Borders in the first half of 2023

I arrived in Kuala Lumpur just before the beginning of Chinese New Year. This meant two things: The first, I was introduced to the beautiful and whole-hearted celebrations of Malaysia. Malls were full of dramatic displays, glowing red lanterns adorned the streets, and fireworks lit the sky each evening. One of the schools I taught […]

read more

Rachel leaves Kuala Lumpur after completing her 6 months volunteering

Rachel sets off for a brief last trip in Southeast Asia before returning to the UK after 6 months as a Bath University Placement Student at the BBBB project. My name is Rachel and I study International Development with Economics at the University of Bath. I chose to do my placement in Malaysia as it […]

read more

Miza, our BBBB Project Coordinator writes a very personal account of her 5 years with the project

Five years with Building Bridges Beyond Borders Miza contacted the programme when she was finishing her Masters at Edinburgh University and about to return to her native Malaysia. After being a volunteer herself, she completed her PhD and has now become an invaluable member of the BBBB management team! Here she remembers some key moments […]

read more

Rachel is Our First International Volunteer to Arrive in Malaysia for over 2 years!

For the past two years our projects in KL have been sustained by a number of hard working and dedicated Malaysian undergraduate volunteers working in person, as well as international volunteers working online. After two years we are delighted to be able to welcome international volunteers in person again! Rachel arrived at the beginning of […]

read more

During the pandemic we have had a wonderful group of international volunteers working with the children in Malaysia online

While the largest number of online volunteers have been placement students from the University of Bath, we have also been very lucky to have a dedicated group from the University of Durham volunteering a few hours a week online throughout the second half of this academic year. The experience of both sides has been very […]

read more

Harriet finishes one year of online volunteering as a Bath University placement student and expects to travel to Malaysia this summer to finally meet all the kids she already knows so well!

With Just Volunteers, I have been privileged to teach for three inspiring organisations in Malaysia: the Rumah Aman Orphanage and Welfare Home, the [Myanmar Refugee school supported by SID] and the YTL Foundation. Just Volunteers has been supportive and encouraging from the outset. As this is my first time ever teaching, having a strong network […]

read more

Ciara has learned more than she expected volunteering online!

Ciara will soon finish her more than 6 months volunteering at BBBB online. (And this summer we will be welcoming in-person volunteers to Malaysia for the first time in over two years!) My name is Ciara and I am currently studying Social Sciences (BSc) at the University of Bath. Working for Just Volunteers has been […]

read more

Madalena is finding online teaching much more interesting than she expected

Maddie talks about how she has been dealing with an internship done entirely online and working from home – when she would otherwise have expected to be in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia working with disadvantaged local children. The experience is challenging for everyone but the attitude of the kids has made it a […]

read more

Building Bridges Beyond Borders (BBBB)

A collaboration between Soroptimist International Damansara  and Just Volunteers! Sponsored by YTL Foundation. MALAYSIA