Impact From Within

by | Jan 31, 2023 | Read, Watch | 0 comments

Meet Rofique, the 18-year-old who provided food aid to over 200 families

When Malaysia went into a nationwide lockdown at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the refugee communities were badly affected by the unexpected turn of events because they were unprepared and ill-equipped for what was to come. Many lost household incomes overnight. As day-wage earners doing informal jobs like road sweeping, dishwashing, and construction work, their work had come to an indefinite halt.

Cries For Help
“So many people could not go out to work. It became difficult to survive, without food, milk for the babies, and diapers. The money they had saved was not enough,” said Rofique, a Rohingya young man who was sought after for help by his community. Families were gripped with the fear of arrest and detention as reports of refugees getting stopped at police blocks went around. Those who didn’t have UNHCR documents trembled as their food supplies began to deplete . Rofique was only turning 18 that year. An unaccompanied minor from Myanmar, he was supported by an organisation called SUKA Society that provided case management aid for vulnerable minors like him. “I left Myanmar because of the violence in my village.” Rofique, like other refugees, had no choice but to flee his home country for safety. Yet, here in Malaysia, finding safety was still challenging.
Becoming the Mediator
“One day, I was at a house nearby and there was a Malaysian lady who was giving food to an old man from my community. But he couldn’t communicate with her, so he called me over and I explained what she said. Since that day, I started helping him.” From this encounter, other members from the community started reaching out to Rofique for help. They needed food, baby formula, diapers, and funds to pay off house rentals. Rofique collated a list of all the families in need of aid, writing down their names, contact details, addresses, family composition, and number of children per household. He then reached out to SUKA Society and sent the neatly handwritten list through WhatsApp. SUKA shared the list with a group of NGOs who were managing food aid distribution in various parts of town. They connected directly with Rofique and delivered the aid to be distributed to the families. 
The food items were neatly packed into rations after they were distributed by the food aid providers. 
Home Of Hope
His house became a distribution centre. To uphold the Covid Standard Operating Procedures, Rofique had to organise the distribution carefully. “I called each household to come to collect the food, with a gap of five minutes between each distribution. We were really afraid of Covid. The Government warned us that we couldn’t have a crowd. There were police officers around the area, and we didn’t want our neighbours reporting us if we met in a big group.” A representative from each family came to collect the food – they wore masks. A bottle of liquid sanitiser was placed at the entrance for them to use. Food portions comprising rice, oil, onions, garlic, and specific items like baby formula, were prepared before they came. With social distancing observed, the households collected their rations. Rofique snapped a photo of each collection for the NGO to tally on their list. After this first round of food distribution, Rofique became instrumental in liaising with other aid providers as the lockdown went through several extensions. All in all, Rofique helped over 200 families. “I also provided food to a few Malaysian families around me when they asked me for help. I checked with the NGO if it was okay, and then I gave the food to them. They said, ‘thank you’ to me.”
When representatives from each household came to Rofique’s house to collect food, the observed all the SOPs such as wearing a facemask, maintaining social distancing and sanitising their hands. Rofique ensured that a bottle of liquid sanitiser was available at the entrance.
Rofique is always looking for opportunities to learn and to upskill himself. He teaches basic English to the children in the Rohingya community. 
“I want to see the children in my community educated,” shares Rofique. When he came to Malaysia as a teenager, he wanted to be educated and, one day, to become a teacher, to help his people. But with refugees having no legal status in Malaysia, educational opportunities were limited. The only forms of education available to him were the ones run by NGO schools or community-based learning centres.  For the more advanced courses, the fees were steep. Rofique was provided a place to study for the IGCSE through the kindness of a school. But starting school at an older age meant having to juggle work and education. Now 20, Rofique has two more years to complete his IGCSE. He teaches English to about 15 children in the community and the families pay him a small fee. He tries to make ends meet with the community’s support. Since the food aid distribution during the lockdown, Rofique has not ceased to be a helping hand to the community. He helps people in need of interpretation during hospital visits; he seeks out NGOs to help single mothers and children; he helps write emails to the UNHCR for the community; and he is involved in the setup of a new educare centre. “I love to help those who are in very difficult circumstances. Whatever I can do, I do,” Rofique said.

CERITAKITA!

Everyone loves stories! Stories are an invitation into another’s journey through life. CeritaKita is a collection of  journeys and adventures from everyday heroes who are making a difference in the lives of the  marginalised communities at the grassroots. If you would like to have a digital or physical copy, do help us out with a simple donation of RM10 and join our mailing list by clicking here.
Meet Rofique, the 18-year-old who fed over 200 families
When Malaysia went into a nationwide lockdown at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the refugee communities were badly affected by the unexpected turn of events because they were unprepared and ill-equipped for what was to come. Many lost household incomes overnight. As day-wage earners doing informal jobs like road sweeping, dishwashing, and construction work, their work had come to an indefinite halt.
Cries For Help
“So many people could not go out to work. It became difficult to survive, without food, milk for the babies, and diapers. The money they had saved was not enough,” said Rofique, a Rohingya young man who was sought after for help by his community. Families were gripped with the fear of arrest and detention as reports of refugees getting stopped at police blocks went around. Those who didn’t have UNHCR documents trembled as their food supplies began to deplete . Rofique was only turning 18 that year. An unaccompanied minor from Myanmar, he was supported by an organisation called SUKA Society that provided case management aid for vulnerable minors like him. “I left Myanmar because of the violence in my village.” Rofique, like other refugees, had no choice but to flee his home country for safety. Yet, here in Malaysia, finding safety was still challenging.
Becoming the Mediator
“One day, I was at a house nearby and there was a Malaysian lady who was giving food to an old man from my community. But he couldn’t communicate with her, so he called me over and I explained what she said. Since that day, I started helping him.” From this encounter, other members from the community started reaching out to Rofique for help. They needed food, baby formula, diapers, and funds to pay off house rentals. Rofique collated a list of all the families in need of aid, writing down their names, contact details, addresses, family composition, and number of children per household. He then reached out to SUKA Society and sent the neatly handwritten list through WhatsApp. SUKA shared the list with a group of NGOs who were managing food aid distribution in various parts of town. They connected directly with Rofique and delivered the aid to be distributed to the families. 
The food items were neatly packed into rations after they were distributed by the food aid providers. 
Home Of Hope
His house became a distribution centre. To uphold the Covid Standard Operating Procedures, Rofique had to organise the distribution carefully. “I called each household to come to collect the food, with a gap of five minutes between each distribution. We were really afraid of Covid. The Government warned us that we couldn’t have a crowd. There were police officers around the area, and we didn’t want our neighbours reporting us if we met in a big group.” A representative from each family came to collect the food – they wore masks. A bottle of liquid sanitiser was placed at the entrance for them to use. Food portions comprising rice, oil, onions, garlic, and specific items like baby formula, were prepared before they came. With social distancing observed, the households collected their rations. Rofique snapped a photo of each collection for the NGO to tally on their list. After this first round of food distribution, Rofique became instrumental in liaising with other aid providers as the lockdown went through several extensions. All in all, Rofique helped over 200 families. “I also provided food to a few Malaysian families around me when they asked me for help. I checked with the NGO if it was okay, and then I gave the food to them. They said, ‘thank you’ to me.”
When representatives from each household came to Rofique’s house to collect food, the observed all the SOPs such as wearing a facemask, maintaining social distancing and sanitising their hands. Rofique ensured that a bottle of liquid sanitiser was available at the entrance.
Rofique is always looking for opportunities to learn and to upskill himself. He teaches basic English to the children in the Rohingya community. 
“I want to see the children in my community educated,” shares Rofique. When he came to Malaysia as a teenager, he wanted to be educated and, one day, to become a teacher, to help his people. But with refugees having no legal status in Malaysia, educational opportunities were limited. The only forms of education available to him were the ones run by NGO schools or community-based learning centres.  For the more advanced courses, the fees were steep. Rofique was provided a place to study for the IGCSE through the kindness of a school. But starting school at an older age meant having to juggle work and education.
Now 20, Rofique has two more years to complete his IGCSE. He teaches English to about 15 children in the community and the families pay him a small fee. He tries to make ends meet with the community’s support. Since the food aid distribution during the lockdown, Rofique has not ceased to be a helping hand to the community. He helps people in need of interpretation during hospital visits; he seeks out NGOs to help single mothers and children; he helps write emails to the UNHCR for the community; and he is involved in the setup of a new educare centre. “I love to help those who are in very difficult circumstances. Whatever I can do, I do,” Rofique said.

CERITAKITA!

Everyone loves stories! Stories are an invitation into another’s journey through life. CeritaKita is a collection of  journeys and adventures from everyday heroes who are making a difference in the lives of the  marginalised communities at the grassroots. If you would like to have a digital or physical copy, do help us out with a simple donation of RM10 and join our mailing list by clicking here.
Meet Rofique, the 18-year-old who fed over 200 families
When Malaysia went into a nationwide lockdown at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the refugee communities were badly affected by the unexpected turn of events because they were unprepared and ill-equipped for what was to come. Many lost household incomes overnight. As day-wage earners doing informal jobs like road sweeping, dishwashing, and construction work, their work had come to an indefinite halt.
Cries For Help
“So many people could not go out to work. It became difficult to survive, without food, milk for the babies, and diapers. The money they had saved was not enough,” said Rofique, a Rohingya young man who was sought after for help by his community. Families were gripped with the fear of arrest and detention as reports of refugees getting stopped at police blocks went around. Those who didn’t have UNHCR documents trembled as their food supplies began to deplete . Rofique was only turning 18 that year. An unaccompanied minor from Myanmar, he was supported by an organisation called SUKA Society that provided case management aid for vulnerable minors like him. “I left Myanmar because of the violence in my village.” Rofique, like other refugees, had no choice but to flee his home country for safety. Yet, here in Malaysia, finding safety was still challenging.
Becoming the Mediator
“One day, I was at a house nearby and there was a Malaysian lady who was giving food to an old man from my community. But he couldn’t communicate with her, so he called me over and I explained what she said. Since that day, I started helping him.” From this encounter, other members from the community started reaching out to Rofique for help. They needed food, baby formula, diapers, and funds to pay off house rentals. Rofique collated a list of all the families in need of aid, writing down their names, contact details, addresses, family composition, and number of children per household. He then reached out to SUKA Society and sent the neatly handwritten list through WhatsApp. SUKA shared the list with a group of NGOs who were managing food aid distribution in various parts of town. They connected directly with Rofique and delivered the aid to be distributed to the families. 
The food items were neatly packed into rations after they were distributed by the food aid providers. 
Home Of Hope
His house became a distribution centre. To uphold the Covid Standard Operating Procedures, Rofique had to organise the distribution carefully. “I called each household to come to collect the food, with a gap of five minutes between each distribution. We were really afraid of Covid. The Government warned us that we couldn’t have a crowd. There were police officers around the area, and we didn’t want our neighbours reporting us if we met in a big group.” A representative from each family came to collect the food – they wore masks. A bottle of liquid sanitiser was placed at the entrance for them to use. Food portions comprising rice, oil, onions, garlic, and specific items like baby formula, were prepared before they came. With social distancing observed, the households collected their rations. Rofique snapped a photo of each collection for the NGO to tally on their list. After this first round of food distribution, Rofique became instrumental in liaising with other aid providers as the lockdown went through several extensions. All in all, Rofique helped over 200 families. “I also provided food to a few Malaysian families around me when they asked me for help. I checked with the NGO if it was okay, and then I gave the food to them. They said, ‘thank you’ to me.”
When representatives from each household came to Rofique’s house to collect food, the observed all the SOPs such as wearing a facemask, maintaining social distancing and sanitising their hands. Rofique ensured that a bottle of liquid sanitiser was available at the entrance.
Rofique is always looking for opportunities to learn and to upskill himself. He teaches basic English to the children in the Rohingya community. 
“I want to see the children in my community educated,” shares Rofique. When he came to Malaysia as a teenager, he wanted to be educated and, one day, to become a teacher, to help his people. But with refugees having no legal status in Malaysia, educational opportunities were limited. The only forms of education available to him were the ones run by NGO schools or community-based learning centres.  For the more advanced courses, the fees were steep. Rofique was provided a place to study for the IGCSE through the kindness of a school. But starting school at an older age meant having to juggle work and education.
Now 20, Rofique has two more years to complete his IGCSE. He teaches English to about 15 children in the community and the families pay him a small fee. He tries to make ends meet with the community’s support. Since the food aid distribution during the lockdown, Rofique has not ceased to be a helping hand to the community. He helps people in need of interpretation during hospital visits; he seeks out NGOs to help single mothers and children; he helps write emails to the UNHCR for the community; and he is involved in the setup of a new educare centre. “I love to help those who are in very difficult circumstances. Whatever I can do, I do,” Rofique said.

CERITAKITA!

Everyone loves stories! Stories are an invitation into another’s journey through life. CeritaKita is a collection of  journeys and adventures from everyday heroes who are making a difference in the lives of the  marginalised communities at the grassroots. If you would like to have a digital or physical copy, do help us out with a simple donation of RM10 and join our mailing list by clicking here.