October 30, 2019

Fugee: PSU Protection Shield

“True partnership means … being willing to receive as well as to give; to listen to refugees as well as to talk to refugees; to be questioned by refugees as well as to ask questions; and finally, to use all resources for the refugees to enable them to face their past, live their present and hope for a better future.”
— Father Agberagba, August 2000

Fugee School provides primary, secondary, and tertiary education opportunities for refugee children and asylum seekers, primarily from Somalia, Yemen, and Syria.

Fugee’s mission is to ignite an endless passion for learning in every child, nurturing confidence, skills, and opportunities for growth. Over the years, Fugee has served as a pillar of education, inclusion, and empowerment for countless refugee children and their families.

Project Stand Up (PSU) grew from a Development Studies class at Fugee School and is now run entirely by alumni. Fugee sparked PSU’s existence, impacting over 400 children and youth, including the team members now leading PSU today.

PSU is a youth-led initiative focused on improving youth participation, decision-making, and access to education, particularly for girls and young women. Guided by Youth-Adult Partnership (YAP) methodology and Refugee-Led Action Principles, PSU ensures every program is built on inclusivity, collaboration, and the voices of refugee youth.

Fugee has been instrumental in PSU’s journey. As a founding partner, Fugee provides critical support, including:

  • Legal protection, as PSU is not yet a registered legal entity in Malaysia.

  • A multi-purpose space where PSU can plan, collaborate, and execute initiatives.

  • On-the-ground support that strengthens the reach and impact of PSU’s work.

Together, Fugee and PSU have moved from a mindset of “For Refugees” to “With Refugees,” showing what true partnership and shared leadership look like.

Operating as a refugee-led initiative presents unique challenges:

  • Funding Barriers
    Accessing financial support remains a constant struggle for community-based organizations. Often, funding is held by larger organizations, forcing refugee-led groups to fight for visibility and equitable access.

  • Recognition and Acknowledgment
    Refugee expertise is frequently overlooked, despite the deep, lived experiences that uniquely position refugee leaders to design and implement sustainable, relevant solutions.

  • Legal Restrictions
    The inability to register as a legal entity in Malaysia limits organizational independence and creates hurdles for ownership, sustainability, and long-term growth..

Through the trust PSU has built in the community, programs are implemented effectively and inclusively. This connection creates safe spaces where both youth and adults, women and men, can share their ideas and opinions freely without fear or judgment.

PSU’s design team has gained valuable skills, from leadership and communication to project design and implementation. These experiences have nurtured confidence and inspired members to dream bigger and work toward building those dreams into reality.

There is no doubt that Fugee champions equality and access, working hand-in-hand with PSU to bridge learning gaps and nurture self-reliance across refugee communities.

By standing with PSU, together we are reshaping the narrative, challenging the traditional top-down humanitarian framework, and proving that grassroots, refugee-led initiatives are powerful catalysts for sustainable, long-term change.