Keep a Refugee in School - and out of War
Donation protected
Name: Mohammed K
Place of birth: Sana’a, Yemen
Status: Refugee in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Risks: Deportation, war, bombing, death
Needs: To cover the cost of his education for one year
A Tough Choice
For those trying to survive the crisis in Yemen, the choices are bleak. Stay at home and risk being killed by bombs dropped overhead, or by gunfire from ground soldiers. Or go abroad and risk being arrested and sent back to the devastation of war.
The situation in Yemen is dangerous, one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. A young man like Mohammed, who is sensitive and terrified of violence, and uniquely unsuited for a military life (for reasons that are too risky to declare publicly), is in particular danger.
Since he left Yemen in August 2018, Mohammed has been living hand-to-mouth in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, staying with friends and trying to keep one step ahead of the police.
Getting caught means being detained in one of Malaysia’s cruel detention centres, where refugees are stripped down and crammed into a cell, deprived of food, indefinitely. The only way out is deportation back to the country they left to save their lives.
School to the Rescue
Mohammed is a hardworking and intelligent scholar, once a star student at Sana’a University, where he majored in management, before the war cut short his academic career. His one hope of salvation in Malaysia is education.
He has enrolled in an English language institute in Kuala Lumpur, where he hopes to improve his already strong language skills – a key asset in his hopes for a long-term professional career. And crucially, the school allows him to stay in Malaysia legally, on a student visa.
We Need Your Help
We have already sent him $400 USD out of our own savings to enroll in the program. Unfortunately the school director is demanding the rest of the $1100 to cover the cost of one year of study. And he is holding his passport as collateral.
If Mohammed does not pay this money immediately, he is at serious risk of having his visa revoked and being deported. Returning to Yemen would likely result in his death, if not from the war than in an act of violence which is far too often the fate for gentle young men like Mohammed.
· Cost of tuition for one year: $1500 USD
· Date due: Immediately
If you can help, please click on the “Donate” button. Every dollar brings us one step toward bringing this promising young scholar from detention and deportation to Yemen.
Who we are
Lea Gabay , a volunteer and humanitarian, based in San Francisco, California, who met Steven Sharma in 2018 through the Refugee Buddy Network.
Stephen Watt , Manager of Advancement Communications at the Rotman School of Management, and co-founder of Hand-to-Hand: Helping Newcomers Succeed .
Martin Humphreys , probably the world’s foremost individual volunteer in the Yemen refugee relief effort, who came to know Mohammed in 2018 and has come to cherish their friendship.
Bottom line
Thank you for your support. And help spread the word by sharing this post!
Place of birth: Sana’a, Yemen
Status: Refugee in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Risks: Deportation, war, bombing, death
Needs: To cover the cost of his education for one year
A Tough Choice
For those trying to survive the crisis in Yemen, the choices are bleak. Stay at home and risk being killed by bombs dropped overhead, or by gunfire from ground soldiers. Or go abroad and risk being arrested and sent back to the devastation of war.
The situation in Yemen is dangerous, one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. A young man like Mohammed, who is sensitive and terrified of violence, and uniquely unsuited for a military life (for reasons that are too risky to declare publicly), is in particular danger.
Since he left Yemen in August 2018, Mohammed has been living hand-to-mouth in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, staying with friends and trying to keep one step ahead of the police.
Getting caught means being detained in one of Malaysia’s cruel detention centres, where refugees are stripped down and crammed into a cell, deprived of food, indefinitely. The only way out is deportation back to the country they left to save their lives.
School to the Rescue
Mohammed is a hardworking and intelligent scholar, once a star student at Sana’a University, where he majored in management, before the war cut short his academic career. His one hope of salvation in Malaysia is education.
He has enrolled in an English language institute in Kuala Lumpur, where he hopes to improve his already strong language skills – a key asset in his hopes for a long-term professional career. And crucially, the school allows him to stay in Malaysia legally, on a student visa.
We Need Your Help
We have already sent him $400 USD out of our own savings to enroll in the program. Unfortunately the school director is demanding the rest of the $1100 to cover the cost of one year of study. And he is holding his passport as collateral.
If Mohammed does not pay this money immediately, he is at serious risk of having his visa revoked and being deported. Returning to Yemen would likely result in his death, if not from the war than in an act of violence which is far too often the fate for gentle young men like Mohammed.
· Cost of tuition for one year: $1500 USD
· Date due: Immediately
If you can help, please click on the “Donate” button. Every dollar brings us one step toward bringing this promising young scholar from detention and deportation to Yemen.
Who we are
Lea Gabay , a volunteer and humanitarian, based in San Francisco, California, who met Steven Sharma in 2018 through the Refugee Buddy Network.
Stephen Watt , Manager of Advancement Communications at the Rotman School of Management, and co-founder of Hand-to-Hand: Helping Newcomers Succeed .
Martin Humphreys , probably the world’s foremost individual volunteer in the Yemen refugee relief effort, who came to know Mohammed in 2018 and has come to cherish their friendship.
Bottom line
Thank you for your support. And help spread the word by sharing this post!
Organizer
Lea G
Organizer
Palo Alto, CA
