When Mathilda Ho came back to Singapore after finishing her studies in Australia, she started a Facebook group to connect with others who were as passionate as her about forced migration and refugee issues.
Her time in Australia had exposed her to human rights issues and the plights of refugees. She had witnessed how ordinary citizens came together to organise and support these groups.
Meeting a refugee from Myanmar also opened her eyes to the kind of difficulties and trauma they had to endure. “It wasn’t like he could just take a plane and get out of the country,” says Mathilda of the refugee’s plight. “Due to a lack of documentation, he had to travel via crossing borders, taking dangerous boat journeys with the help of smugglers while quickly maturing into an adult so he could take care of his younger brother and assure them of their survival”.
Through her Facebook group, she banded together with like-minded individuals to form Advocates for Refugees – Singapore (AFR-SG), a groundup initiative that aims to promote the humane and dignified treatment of refugees and displaced persons through awareness campaigns, research and partnerships.
Uncovering Unmet Needs
Through working with refugees, Mathilda has learnt much about their needs – some of which are not obvious.
After spending time connecting and building rapport online with a female refugee based in Malaysia, a revelation about her situation struck Mathilda: She lacked money to purchase female sanitary products. “I was very affected by it because I was also a woman and I couldn’t imagine why this could happen in this day and age.”
Mathilda proceeded to touch base with Days for Girls, where their local chapter in Singapore had volunteers preparing reusable sanitary kits. She also decided to develop an educational workshop on menstrual health for female refugee communities living in Malaysia and Indonesia.
“We wanted to give them the right education and information, and also provide them with a kit”, she explains about the workshop effort.
(Credit: The Sisterhood Community Center)
Creative Ways To Help Amid Covid-19
Volunteers in AFR-SG are driven by the desire to help. With Covid-19 affecting travel and movement these days, awareness campaigns like AFR-SG’s annual Refugee Awareness Week have morphed into an online format, allowing for remote volunteering and cross-border participation from refugees based overseas.
Mathilda and her team also had to be creative in ensuring helpful resources reach refugees.
When Covid-19 hit in 2020 and imposed lockdowns in Malaysia, Cahaya Surya Bakti, a community learning centre for Rohingya refugees had to shut its doors. As the centre needed additional resources to prepare teaching materials, Mathilda and the AFR-SG team helped create and sell merchandise branded with their campaign theme #Why Border to raise funds as a form of support.
Mathilda manages AFR-SG on top of her day job. “But it’s not really work at the end of the day if it’s something you’re passionate about, and something you’re motivated to do”, she adds.
Moments That Keep Her Going
Mathilda recalls how she visited Jordan in 2019 with her team to help distribute humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees. There, she was heartened by the response from an elderly refugee, who didn’t expect people from far away to care about them.
“I think it sends a message that we care and that’s deeply meaningful for me. Individuals can also make a huge impact, just showing them that they are remembered, they are cared for”, Mathilda explains.
Summing up on the value AFR-SG brings, it is the volunteers contributing their time, effort and resources. She adds: “As long as there are ways for us to contribute, and there’s a way for me as a coordinator to bring people together, that’s what keeps me going”.
Make your voice heard this International Women’s Day by donating or volunteering with non-profit organisations dedicated to women and girls. You can also join the Advocates for Refugees – Singapore (AFR-SG) community as a volunteer!
