Date: 17/7/2011 (Sunday)
Venue: Cheras KL Football Stadium
Wearing the full uniform of Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth and waiting for the arrival of the kids
The school team I led..Team 1: Cheras Baru Chin Learning Centre (CBCLC)
(The Chin are one of the large ethnic minority groups in Myanmar. The Chins are found mainly in western part of Myanmar)
This was the first time I participated in the annually held Sports Event for Refugees jointly organised by Tzu Chi and UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) after all these years joining Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth..Previously it was merely joined by Myanmar refugees..But last year's and this year's, Somalian refugees involved as well in the merry event. This year's involving 11 schools from Cheras Baru, Selayang, Taman Tasik Permai, Taman Tasik Tambahan etc.
Before the parade kicked off, I grabbed the chance interviewing one of the accompanying teachers from the school I led. We communicated with each other in simple English. Though am not sure of her age, she looked very young. She said the school is occupied with the kids from the age range of 4 years old to 13 years old. They speak Myanmar language with each other most of the time but the teaching-learning is in English.
The kids were smiling joyfully.
With the jointly effort from Tzu Chi and UNHCR, apart from providing the children of refugees with the opportunity of receiving proper academic knowledge and humanistic values like the other children, this wonderful sports event proves to be another successful mission of education in providing the children with the opportunity of learning team spirit and sportsmanship through various sports and games, as well as strenghtening the bond between the parents and children. It was very warm to see the happy faces from the refugees, having great fun, and the innocent smiles from the kids despite their refugee status.
Prize Giving and Closing Ceremony
Hooray!! "Chin Chin GO GO GO"!!!
CBCLC won a lot of first places in individual events and emerged as overall first runner up!
School bags and White shoes sponsored respectively by UNHCR and Tzu Chi Foundation
"Under the United Nations' Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951, a refugee is a person who is residing outside the country of his/her nationality due to a well-founded fear of being prosecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. Owing to such fear, he/she is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself for the protection of the country in which he/she has sought refuge."
Thanks to Tzu Chi Foundation and UNHCR, these children of refugees are sprinkled with respect, gratitude and loving-kindness. They are relentlessly collaborating in the effort of caring and creating a better tomorrow for the refugees.
