Relief For Rakyat
The 28th of July saw a record high of 17,405 cases in Malaysia, which underwent multiple nationwide lockdowns since March 2020. Increasing restrictions forced establishments to close and threatens many impoverished families with homelessness and hunger. The people that are the hardest hit by the pandemic include refugees and citizens in the B40 category (the bottom 40% Malaysian household income group).
Malaysia's poverty rate increased from 5.6% to 8.4% in just one year from 2019 - 2020 as the pandemic fuels a vicious cycle of poverty and rising COVID-19 cases by compromising access to basic amenities and protective measures such as face masks that are vital in curbing spread of COVID-19.
The Malaysian Medics International Ireland (MMII) is partnering with Refuge For the Refugees (RFTR), a non-profit NGO established by Heidy Quah that works to advocate for and protect the rights of refugees through policy work, individual support, educational programmes, and more. Since the MCO, RFTR has worked with other organisations in their food aid programme to provide lifesaving sustenance for not just refugees and migrants but also the B40 community of Malaysia. This programme has supported well over 12,000 families (~100,000 beneficiaries) in the KL and Selangor area as of February 2021 and continues to do so.
RM60 (€12) is all it takes to feed a family of 4 for up to 2 weeks. All funds received through this GoFundMe page will be donated entirely to support the work of RFTR in alleviating the challenges faced by refugees, migrants, and the local B40 communities in Malaysia.
Even the smallest donation can make a tremendous difference. Would you partner with us in supporting those who need our help the most? Donate today and join those who have helped to make the work of RFTR possible. Your support will be a life-changing gift to these struggling families and their children.
For more updates and information regarding our Relief for Rakyat campaign, visit @mmiireland on Instagram.
Donations made to the GoFundMe website will ultimately be converted to euros and deposited into the MMII bank account (1 euro ≈ RM 5).