Quilling For Rohingya Refugees
Hello everyone! My name is Laura Egan and I’m helping the UNHCR raise money for Rohingya refugees.
This Summer, I went to Malaysia to visit my grandpa when I came across a school for refugees, Cahaya Surya Bakti. They told me about their struggles such as escaping the Burmese government and not having enough money to support their families. Since then, I have been lucky enough to teach Grade 2 English since September of 2022 for twice a week, but there is still so much more I can do.
I made this website hoping I can raise money for them and make their story come to life. Please consider buying any quilling or donating. Anything will help.
Please contact 5eganfamily@gmail.com if you want to order any quilling. Thank you.
Laura Egan
Why did I chose quilling as a way to raise money:
I remember the first day I walked into Cahaya Surya Bakti. One of the first things I did was 'learn' how to quill. A small boy led me into a room filled with high-quality quilling. He showed me what each quilling tool did and how to use them to shape the paper. When I decided to make a website, he inspired me to do it based on quilling.
Where would the money go to?
Transportation
Textbooks/Devices so children can learn more efficiently
Food
Tables/chairs to create better working conditions
Why did I make this website?
Who are Rohingya Refugees?
The Rohingya are a Muslim minority who have lived in Buddhist Myanmar (former known as Burma) for centuries. Although Rohingya have lived in Myanmar for generations, they are not recognized as an official ethnic group. They’ve been denied citizenship since 1982, making them the world’s largest stateless population. They’ve been denied basic rights and protection and are extremely vulnerable to abuse.
How did the crisis begin?
Rohingyas have suffered for decades because of violence and discrimination is Myanmar. In August 2017, there was a massive wave of violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, forcing more then 700,000 people - half being children - to seek refuge in Bangladesh. Villages were burned, and thousands of families were killed or separated. Many walked for days through jungles and went through dangerous sea journeys across the Bay of Bengal to reach Bangladesh. Today, there are about 919,000 Rohingya refugees living in Kutupalong and Nayapara camps in Bangladesh Cox’s Bazar region. They have not been granted refugee status and are unable to integrate into Bangladesh communities and start to rebuild their lives. Until their safety in Myanmar is assured, they remain fearful of returning. The United Nations has described the Rohingya as “the most persecuted minority in the world.”
Women And Children Are the Most Affected.
According to ActionAid, women in Bangladesh are heavily affected, as well as those with disabilities and the elders. A large number of unaccompanied children have arrived in Bangladesh who either lost their parents during the displacement or were brought in by extended family, and approximately 60% of refugees are single mothers. During the monsoon and cyclone seasons, hailstorms, high winds, rain, and lighting are life threatening. Flooding has left thousands of refugees without access to aid, and overflowing toilets and sewers increase the risk of water-borne diseases spreading.
Refugee’s Food Rations
Many refugees in the camps also suffer from chronic disease such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Medecins San Frontieres (MSF) currently serves a cohort of over 4,500 patients. For people with NCD’s, a healthy diet is very important in managing their health status. Restricted access to adequate food could increase reliance on medical supplies and increase demand for already overburden medical services within the camps. Health services in the camps are under tremendous pressure to deal with the medical consequences of people’s dire living conditions. MSF said cutting food rations would add to the already prevalent sense of hopelessness in the camps, pushing more Rohingya to undertake highly dangerous sea and land journeys in search of a better life and brighter future.