First All-Female Platform for Yemeni Refugees
Leading by Making a Difference
Written by Leena Al-Mujahed and edited by Shanisse Goh, volunteer with AFR-SG
The war in Yemen began in March 2015, when I was in my third year of university. My campus was located near an army barracks, and the warplanes would often drop bombs in the vicinity. It wasn’t long before I realised that Yemen was not safe for my daughter and me. After I graduated, I decided to leave for Malaysia, one of the countries that Yemenis can enter without a visa.
When I first arrived in Malaysia, I was lost. I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t know anyone who could assist me. My family used to own our house in Yemen. In Malaysia, I didn’t even know how to go about finding a house to rent. As a mother in a foreign country, with a young child in tow, I faced even more difficulties and responsibilities.
Soon I realised that there were many other Yemeni refugees around me who similarly did not have the support they needed. I decided that the community needed an organisation to fill this gap. With the help of UNHCR and local NGOs, I founded the Yemeni Refugee Women Association (YRWA) in March 2020, the first all-female platform for the community.
YRWA advocates on behalf of female refugees and asylum-seekers; we serve as their voice. As many of them have limited education, I find that it is most important for them to first know their rights – in fact, just to know that they have rights. YRWA runs awareness programmes for women on their rights, and teaches them how to deal with sexual and gender-based violence. We also organise language courses to teach refugee women basic English and Malay, so that it is easier for them to get help at hospitals and NGOs, to make ends meet, and to become part of the community in Malaysia.
During a monthly community meeting
Since establishing YRWA, I have come across many women seeking assistance – women who face domestic abuse; single mothers; women with chronic diseases. One memorable incident for me was my first delivery case – when I accompanied a woman as she was giving birth in the hospital. I translated her conversations with the hospital staff, helped her with the hospital fees, and followed up with her recovery in the hospital. She was so grateful for the help that she named her baby girl after me!
There was another day that I got a call from a woman who was being attacked by her husband. I immediately went down to her place and stayed with her until I was sure that she was safe. Being able to support fellow women through these experiences has made me realise that no matter how busy I am, I will always want to find time for the women in the community.
During Eid Alfitri toys distribution
Many of the women that come to YRWA for help, they know me as Leena the strong, independent woman, but I have actually faced many of the issues that they are struggling with. When they talk to me, I feel their pain, I believe their stories, and I know that they really need help. Even when I tell them a simple “don’t worry, everything will be okay”, I know that one day I will need someone to say the same words back to me. As women, we support each other; we give one another strength, and together, we will become even stronger.
At the end of the day, refugees are ordinary humans. We leave our countries to find a safe place for ourselves and our children. It is a situation that anyone could find themselves in one day. Many Yemenis like me are living in other countries now. We are waiting for things to be safe in Yemen and then we will build our country again.
I still miss my country and I am preparing myself to become a part of the new Yemen. The country needs youth; pure people who just want to help and make a difference. Still, for now, I feel that I have found myself in Malaysia, and I am grateful that I have rebuilt my life here. For now, making a difference, and building the new Yemen, can start here among us, as the Yemeni refugee community helps each other.
During YRWA weekly team meeting
Leena is a Yemeni refugee community leader living in KL, Malaysia. She is also the founder of the Yemeni Refugee Women Association, an organisation that empowers women refugees and asylum-seekers to fully participate in the community by protecting their rights and equipping them with skills.
Find out more about Leena’s initiative at:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/yrwaA
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yrwa_association/
This piece is written as part of Refugee Awareness Week (RAW) 2021, an annual campaign held in conjunction with World Refugee Day commemorated globally every June 20. RAW is organised by Advocates for Refugees - Singapore (AFR-SG).
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During Eid Alfitri toys distribution