Shelter for child survivors of abuse in Malaysia

Asyraf* arrived at the Child Care Centre (CCC) with his younger sister in 2015. He was only 5 years old then. His mom, a domestic violence survivor, had previously stayed at the Refuge for several months. She has then decided to move on from her abusive relationship and start a new life with her children.

Asyraf was very aware that his mother was abused. He has, many times, expressed to the social worker that he was upset with his father and what he has done.

At the CCC, Asyraf spent a lot of time with his sibling but other times, he kept to himself. He did not engage with other children. He was very fearful of unfamiliar people even when he was in a safe environment. Having lived in a domestic violence situation at home, Asyraf’s learning experience was definitely affected. He could barely recognise letters and numbers.

After several months in the shelter, Asyraf started to build friendships. The children were very fond of him because Asyraf has grown to be a kind and responsible person. One of the child minders said that Asyraf often talked about his mother and sister when asked about his plans for the future. He said that his dream is to become a police officer and he hoped to be able to provide a home for them.

Asyraf and his sister were tutored in the CCC throughout their stay in 2015. When they were more settled down a year later, Asyraf was registered into a Montessori centre to start his education. He enjoyed being in school and even though his early education was delayed, Asyraf showed a lot of potential in his studies.

Recently, Asyraf was named Best Student in Child Care Centre this year.

*Name has been changed to protect identity

I walked into the Child Care Centre and was expecting to see children doing their homework but the house was quiet. I was told that a few of them were still not back from school. I saw the young ones fast asleep on their beds.

It was a warm afternoon. I sat in the office and spoke to Firkah, a social worker who managed our shelter for children of domestic violence survivors. She said she was keen to highlight *Rohan’s story for this report.

In 2014, we were unable to contact Rohan’s mother for months. She was a previous resident who left our Refuge some time ago. The social workers visited her house and her workplace several times but no one has seen her. We called the police and the welfare department for help.

Rohan was already placed at the Child Care Centre before his mom’s disappearance. Firkah mentioned that he was not interested to befriend others in the shelter. In fact, he had often resorted to violence whenever he felt vulnerable. When he got news that his mother was nowhere to be found, Rohan broke down. From then on, he was worried and sad all the time. During a play therapy session, Rohan even mentioned to his therapist that he had intentions of committing suicide.

A year has passed. Rohan’s mother contacted the Refuge and said that she was away and well but could not explain what exactly has happened to her. She came back to stay in our Refuge and was given counselling. Rohan was so happy.

In the absence of his mom, Rohan has struggled but made efforts to improve himself. For a year, he frequently attended counselling and play therapy sessions. He learned the importance of friendships, self-care and being respectful.

When we were collaborating with a group of volunteers who are avid runners, I got to know that Rohan also started running and won many running competitions. Just like *Ruben in our previous report! That was not all apparently. Firkah proudly informed that he also writes poems and loves to paint. Together with other children, Rohan won the Spelling Bee contest too. Rohan was given tuition in the shelter to help him catch up with school subjects.

I enjoyed listening to Firkah and her stories of the children in the shelter. The children are very fond her and they always call her “Akka Firkah” or “Kakak Firkah” which literally means Firkah sister. She plays an important role in making sure each and every child in the shelter is cared for. I have met Rohan a few times. I wouldn’t have known that Rohan has gone through so much if I have not heard of how challenging his life was in the last few years. He is definitely much happier now.

*Name has been changed to protect identity