Send a Refugee Youth in Malaysia to a University

Hey There!

It has been 6 months since our second batch have begun their journey as a Fugee HiEd Scholar! Our Scholars have been busy with their various engagements and studies. In the last few months we have gotten to know our scholars on a personal level and we would like to share a few of their stories with you!

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During the pandemic, one of our Scholars quickly rose to fame for his musical talents. Hau Pi, 21, who prefers the name Oscar, gained popularity for his musical abilities, garnering 100,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel and receiving a Silver Play Button. Oscar plays in his church band and frequently performs at various events. He hopes his lifelong passion for music and directing will one day allow him to support his family so they no longer have to struggle.

Sarah, 24, completed her secondary education at Fugee School and has since dedicated herself to giving back. Using her creative design and communication skills, Sarah volunteers with various refugee-led groups, raising awareness through social media. She was also a teaching assistant at Fugee School, where she recalls developing her creativity by working with children.

As Samaa, 20, pursues her online degree in Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, she is determined to find ways to increase her exposure and collaborative learning opportunities. In January 2023, Samaa attended the 5th Global Malaysian Astronomers Convention at the National Science Centre in Kuala Lumpur. There, Samaa gained insights into the current local and international research. 

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Just a few stories from our driven and passionate Scholars! We hope to bring you more stories on our scholars in our following reports. We thank you for your contribution and we hope you share Fugee's project with your friends and family. 

The Fugee HiEd Scholarship Program started up in 2021. In January 2022 we awarded our first 5 scholars to deserving and smart refugee students living in Malaysia. We launched our program on GlobalGiving to raise funds to support more scholars in 2023. 

We are proud to say that in January 2023 we have awarded an additional 14 scholarships to raise the number of scholars to 18 and 1 student that has already graduated (we highlighted her story in our last report!)

Over the last 18 months this is what we have done: 

1. Give out 19 full Scholarships 
2. Introduce and implement Mentorship Program exclusive for scholars with our Official Parnter, FutureLab
3. Successfully partake in GlobalGiving Campaigns to raise funds and awareness
4. Raise enough funds through GG and Donors to now support a Scholar's full tuition fees

Working with 19 scholars has been nothing short of inspiring. Here are a few fun facts about our Scholars! 

• One of them is a Muay Thai Champion, after winning a national compeition in Malaysia
• We have a Musician that has been awarded a Silver Play Button on YouTube, and also has 100K+ followers
• Another one of them has Co-Founded a refugee youth group by the name of Project Stand Up
• We have a Scholar studying Astronomy and Planetary Sciences at Arizona State University
• A master chess player with dreams to become a Grandmaster

Over the next few months we will be sharing more stories of our Scholars. They are full of talents and dreams, and we invite you to join us on this journey as our scholars make their to they graduation. 

The last 10 months with our 2022 Batch of Scholars has been nothing short of inspiring. All 5 of our Scholars have found new ways to stretch their boundaries and take risks and we couldn't be more proud of them. 

This time around, we want to highlight one of our very special scholars, Nija. 

Nija is not only our first HiEd Scholar but she is also our first scholar who will be graduating! In just a couple days she will be attending her convocation to receive her Bachelor's of Law degree from Brickfields Asia College and the University of Hertfordshire. 

Nija is also the most active member of the Malaysian society. She actively partcipates in education projects that benefit not just the refugee community but the local communities too. 

When we asked Nija about her education and volunteering activities she said: 

"I wouldn't be anywhere without my education... I cannot go forward in life. I volunteer my time to share my experience and to also find ways to integrate refugee and local Malaysian communities that struggle with the same issues." 

What we love about Nija is her zest and compassion. While completing a law degree, Nija is part of multiple UNHCR projects, she works at Asylum Access, advocates for youth education and child rights, and volunteers at Teach for Malaysia and other local refugee learning centres.

Nija is a true changemaker and we cant wait to see what her future holds. 

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We are currently heavily focused on our second intake of Fugee HiEd Scholars! Continue to share our project and donate so that we can inspire more Scholars like Nija. 

Our program was recently highlighted in NewNaratif, an independent media outlet in Southeast Asia. If you're interested to know more about the refugee crisis in Malaysia, click the link below. 

Links:

• Read this to find out about Higher Education Issues for Refugees

Hey Fugee Friend! 

Thanks for keeping up with the journey of our Scholars this far. We are super excited to share with you that 3 of our Scholars have received incredible work and training opportunities as a result of Fugee's growing awareness campaigns!

Amir, 20, our scholar from Afghanistan, is studying a Bachelors in Computer Science. He received a job opportunity with H2GO Global - a water technology company that works to deliver clean drinking water to all communities. Amir has been involved in administrative, tech and partnership aspects of the business, giving him exposure to various corporate processes.

Here's what he has to say: 

"Working at H2GO has enabled me to gain an understanding of the different process that are involved in running an organization and taking projects from the starting point to the completion level. I have also been able to cultivate relationships and connections that have provided me with a wide range of learning opportunities."

In addition, Hania, 25, from Pakistan and Khalil, 21, from Palestine, have recently accepted traineeships with Dex-Labs, a software development company. Both Hania and Khalil, studying Information Technology, have shown interest in receiving practical training within their fields. At Dex Labs, our scholars are learning how to apply the skills and knowledge taught in their degree program.

We are so proud of the success of Amir, Hania and Khalil, who are still pursuing their degrees as they work. Each of our 5 scholars are given ample support and access to opportunities to allow them to explore their strengths and interests.

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You have played a part in this! This has been made possible by each one of you. Your donations and your voice have been instrumental in the progression of our HiEd Scholarship programs.

You can now follow us on Instagram for more updates! @fugee_org

Stay Safe, 

Fugee Team

Over the last 2 months, we have raised enough funds to sponsor the tuition for 2 Scholar's first year of education! This would not be possible without your support.

Fugee began its journey with the Scholarship in May 2021. In the last 10 months, we designed the scholarship framework, reached out to partners, sent out a call for applications and conducted a very difficult selection process.

After all that effort, we are incredibly happy to introduce to you the first batch of the Fugee HiEd 2022 Scholars! These 5 Scholars each have their own unique stories and career paths ahead of them, which you are now a part of. 

Three of our scholars are young women from Pakistan and the other two are young men from Palestine and Afghanistan. They each have their separate career paths in Artificial Intelligence, Law, UI/UX, Cybersecurity and Psychology. 

It is fantastic to see how these bright young minds of varying disciplines are dedicated to their education and are taking control of their future. Though they are different in many, many ways, they still share the same passion to the refugee community and aspire to continue to use their voice for empowerment. 

Below you will find the short profiles of each of our Scholars. We hope you can spend a few minutes of your time reading about who you've impacted and what it means to them. 

View Scholar Profiles

We also invite you to share our project and your experiences with your family, friends and colleagues. Your continued support is what will take us to the end of our project goals.