REFUGEES PROJECT
Malaysia is not a signatory to a United Nations convention on refugees and migrant rights, therefore refugees often find themselves in a difficult position to sustain themselves daily while waiting for UNHCR to resettle them to a different country. Sometimes, due to the backlog, this may take years before a refugee family is resettled. During this time, there is a need to help them sustain financially and to equip them with skills that will be beneficial to them. Yellow House provides sustainable livelihood interventions for refugees because we strongly believe in opportunities for refugees to be self-sufficient, learn new skills & pursue economic opportunities. These are vital for them to rebuild their lives to become productive members of a community.
Alternate Sustainable Livelihood (ASL) are an entrepreneurial projects where Yellow House helps advise, guide and set up small businesses with micro loans for Afghan refugees based on their skills and expertise such as tailoring, mushroom growing, embroidery, baking and other skills known to the Afghans. The projects under the ASL are:
Mantoo (Dumpling) Project
Food brings people together. This little dumpling project has given rise to cultural understanding, employment opportunities & togetherness in the community, as well as lots of delicious Afghani food. Unlike the usual practise of serving dumpling steamed, our Afghans have found an innovative way to serve their mantoo frozen. This way, you have a choice to steam or deep fry it at your convinience. The mantoo comes in chicken, beef and most recently, we have added a vegan options too.
Working together, we all have something to bring to the table.
Poncho Blouse Project
This project helps refugee women develop their sewing and marketing skills as a way to alternate sustainable livelihood to help them earn much needed income to support their families. The women who have been in Malaysia for the past 3 years, gather twice a week at a community centre where it is safe and welcoming to gather to sew, knit, crochet, weave and bead to create beautiful artisanal products.These sewing sessions also has helped them find new friendship while learning new skills. Each two hour session also allows them to express themselves creatively. It is their hope that learning to run this as a business will empower them when they start a new life in the country, which they are seeking asylum for.
Freelance Tailors Partnership
We believe by forming valuable partnerships, the productivity and wellbeing of refugees could be improved – through increased access to basic services, materials and infrastructure, along with training and capacity building. These opportunities and support is crucial to enhance livelihood opportunities and to create a better lives for our Afghan refugees. One such partnership is with Biji Biji Ethical Fashion. The partnership offers a chance for our Afghan men and women to earn an income and provide for their families.
Afghan Community Centre
Yellow House manages a community centre and brings good governance for its administration. At the centre that caters to the Afghan refugee community in surrounding Ampang areas, Yellow House conducts a series of activities focusing on capacity building such as Conversational English lessons for Adults, Financial Literacy, Psychosocial Activities for Women and Physiotherapy activities for senior citizens. These activities are focused on Education, Health and Well Being.
Partners & Collaborators – UNHCR, Biji Biji Ethical Fashion, Biji Biji Initiative, Kebun Kebun Bangsar,