The Chin Organisation, serving the children of Burmese refugees in Malaysia, is run by a dedicated team of volunteers. Editor Chad Merchant spent a Saturday in the forest with the kids and their teachers and found himself humbled by the people who give their time and money to help these refuge children during their time in Malaysia.

Malaysia is home to about 29 million people of many different races and cultures, and of course hosts a sizeable expatriate community, as well. Beyond that, however, Malaysia is also a haven for refugees who have fled persecution in nearby Myanmar (Burma). The Chin people are among Myanmar’s most vulnerable and victimised ethnic minority groups, and many make their way to Malaysia seeking refugee status with the United Nations while awaiting relocation Giving Time, Giving Hope to other countries. During their time in Malaysia, they must try to live as normal a life as possible. This is difficult since most refugees arrive here with nothing, and as they have no legal status in Malaysia, the children of the Burmese refugees are not eligible to attend school in Malaysia. In 2005, therefore, a small group of Chin university graduates living in Kuala Lumpur awaiting relocation formed the Chin Student Organisation (CSO) in a bid to give the Chin children a continuing education and connection to their home culture while in Malaysia.

There are some 500 Chin children enrolled as students in the five KL-area CSO schools, each of which is funded, staffed, and run entirely by volunteers and donors. Most of the volunteer teachers are Chin (many who are themselves waiting for resettlement), though quite a few are also expats living in KL. The four main subjects taught at these schools are English, science, mathematics, and Chin. English is an important component of their education since most Chin families will ultimately be relocated to Englishspeaking countries. Additionally, alongside these typically academic subjects, the children are taught Chin history, culture, spirituality, song, and dance. The CSO believes it is important for the children to understand where they come from and to maintain a connection to their heritage.

Through the kind sponsorship and volunteer work of expats and locals who wish to give back, the CSO is able to do special things with the children from time to time. One such recent outing saw about 35 youngsters from age 6 to 16 enjoying a day at the outstanding Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). The 544-hectare campus, founded in 1929, is preserved and maintained to promote sustainable forest management and bestuse practices for the understanding and use of forest resources. With five arboreta serving as conservation areas, a xylarium with over 10,000 wood samples and 1,500 species, a library, a herbarium with some 200,000 specimens, and the crown jewel canopy walkway suspended between the rainforest trees at 30m above the ground, FRIM is a remarkable area for education and for the sheer enjoyment of the forest.

The Burmese children split into smaller groups and spent the day learning about the forest with the help of local rangers, jungle trekking through the dense forests, and enjoying the canopy walk, too. It was a great Saturday and it was all made possible by the generous sponsorship of one caring expat in Malaysia, supplemented by the time and effort of teachers and volunteers. The kids had a fantastic time, and it was a rewarding and enriching experience for all involved.

If you’d like to learn more about the CSO in Kuala Lumpur, or would like to help out in any way, you may contact the CSO Administrator, Rhonda Hortum, by emailing [email protected].

Source: Senses of Malaysia November/December 2013

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