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