Sunday August 17, 2008
By ELIZABETH LOOI
Refugee children from Myanmar who are now in Malaysia awaiting relocation to another country share their plight and hopes for the future in a book titled My Beautiful Myanmar.
MOST of us consider childhood as the best part of our lives. Those were the days when we did not have to worry about exams, bills to pay, financial commitments, career and so on.
But it is not so for a group of Myanmar refugee children from the Kachin community. They had to flee their country to seek a better life elsewhere at a young age.
Thrilled to bits: Three refugee children looking for their contributions in the book. They are hoping to be relocated to other countries and these children are temporarily seeking refuge in Malaysia. For some, it will be is a short wait; for others it could take years.
Those who do not get relocated will face a very uncertain future, living a cat-and-mouse existence with the local authorities.
The children live with their parents in Kuala Lumpur. Those whose parents are either back in Myanmar or cannot be located stay with relatives or friends.
When they first arrived, many were malnourished. They survive on meagre rations of food and some go hungry during the day while their parents are out working or looking for jobs.
They are confined to their windowless and tiny flats, afraid to go out for fear of being caught or harassed by thugs.
To keep the children occupied and provide a safer environment for them, a few volunteers from the Kachin community started makeshift schools in rented flats.
The schools received some funding from individuals and groups but it was not enough to cover their needs.
The children were keen to learn but could not concentrate because they were always hungry and lethargic.
Their lives began to improve when some Malaysians learned about their plight last year and decided to help them.
Two of the Good Samaritans, Marie-Anne Yong and Belle Luer, said the kids were introverted and cautious of strangers when they first met them.
Tough life: It was not easy for the kids to relive their painful past. “Some were as young as three years old and came here with neighbours or relatives and were pining for their family,” Yong recalled.
“There was a little boy who used to cry and hide under a table every time meals were served,” she said.
Yong, who came to know about the children through a friend, said she got together with a group of six friends, including Luer, and started collecting contributions to help feed the kids on school days.
“What amazes me is their spirit. They are always full of joy and are so grateful for the little that they have.
“Even in the past, when all they had for lunch were dry biscuits and water, they would gather around and give thanks,” said Yong, who is self-employed.
Today, the kids are energetic, fun and confident, said Luer.
“There’s been a big transformation in them. It’s so rewarding to see them with more self-esteem and hope.
“Every one of them has an ambition - to become a doctor, an engineer or a teacher - so they can serve their people back home.”
Luer, a homemaker, said when they first met the children, they drew pictures of soldiers with guns, cemeteries, corpses, angels, tombs and helicopters dropping food parcels from the sky.
“They also drew houses with no windows. Today they are drawing three-storey bungalows, beautiful landscapes and a modern Myanmar. There is just so much more hope in them now,” she added.
Recalling the day she met the children, Yong said they looked strong-willed and determined although they were malnourished.
“I could see their eyes sparkling with hope despite their suffering. They are very positive and all of them hope to return to their country one day to help their people, despite having been oppressed by their government,” she said.
She decided to help them because she felt they deserved a much better future and she couldn’t bear the thought of them going hungry.
“Hunger knows no religion, race or nationality. These kids go hungry because of rules and regulations. We need to focus on humanity, people helping people,” said Yong.
Luer teaches the kids motivational and life skills to to make them realise that they can “create a compelling future for themselves by believing in themselves and dreaming big”.
“But it is hard to dream on an empty stomach so we need to ensure that their basic necessities are met especially when they have to keep running from one place to another,” Luer said.
A beautiful project
After Cyclone Nargis left its trail of devastation in Myanmar, the children felt sad and helpless as some of them had relatives in the affected areas.
Luer said when she asked the kids what they could do to help, they replied: “Just pray.”
“I told them that prayer was powerful and asked what else they could do to help.
“So they started coming up with all sorts of ideas. One said we could build a long pipe to Myanmar to provide water. Another said we could send letters of encouragement. But none of them thought of sending money because they didn’t think it would be possible.”
So Luer and Yong came up with the idea of writing a book to raise funds. The children were asked to write about why they came to Malaysia and their hopes for the future.
Yong said it was not easy for them to relive their painful past in Myanmar, but for many, sharing how they felt was a cathartic experience.
“When we first read their stories we were moved to tears as we had no idea what they had gone through. Often, people wonder why refugees are willing to risk their lives to come here,” she said.
“When you read these children’s stories, you can better understand and appreciate why they are here.”
The children also drew pictures of what they hoped Myanmar would be like in the future.
They then selected the best stories and pictures and compiled these them into a book titled My Beautiful Myanmar.
Yong explained that the title came from the fact that the children love their country and hope to return there one day when conditions improve.
“The kids were thrilled when they saw their pictures and their work published. This book project has been created with much love and effort,” she said.
Much to their surprise, Yong and Luer they met a printer who was willing to give them a huge discount for printing the book and a layout artist who kept stayed up many late nights after her full-time time day job to do the art and design.
Luer said they planned to channel the contributions from the book through World Vision Malaysia via World Vision Myanmar, which has a strong presence there.
She hoped the project would inspire others to realise that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.
“Too often we have limiting beliefs on why we can’t do something but here are 100 refugee kids who have come together using their talents to help others less fortunate than themselves,” she said.
Luer and Yong just want the children to be able to live like normal kids without fear or hunger and to have access to proper education.
“Kids should be running in the park, not running for their lives,” Luer said.
Luer and Yong aim to raise RM100,000 through sales of My Beautiful Myanmar.
The entire proceeds from the sale will go towards cyclone relief efforts as well as to the Kachin schools.
The book, which has 40 beautiful coloured pages featuring the children’s life stories and drawings, is priced at RM15 each.
To get a copy, e-mail my.beautiful.myanmar@gmail.com or to get a preview of the stories, log on to www.notesfromvenus.com.
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