Zomi Association of Malaysia: Informing People, Transforming Lives
About ZAM:
Who We Are: The Zomi Association of Malaysia (ZAM) represents Zomi refugees from Myanmar, predominantly from the Chin State. This group comprises individuals who have fled their homeland due to fears of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, political opinions, or ideological differences.
Name: The organization is officially named the Zomi Association of Malaysia, abbreviated as ZAM. It operates as a nonprofit entity dedicated to developing Zomi people in various social, educational, and safety domains.
Emblem: The emblem, “Suangthu,” symbolizes survival, knowledge, unity, and tranquility.
Motto: “Informing People, Transforming Lives.”
Mission Statement: ZAM is organized to develop social, moral, literary, cultural, human resources, research development, and educational purposes. The Zomi Association of Malaysia aims to build capability in the social community, community development, and welfare missions such as healthcare, social care, spiritual growth, and moral support for the Zomi people, in collaboration with social communities and UNHCR.
- To assist those who fled Burma, seeking refuge regardless of race, religion, and ideological differences.
- To facilitate the exchange of opinions and views on information and to inform and promote educational and moral character development.
- To obtain information relating to vulnerabilities in their lives.
- To disseminate education and promote literacy among refugees and Zomis using newsletters, journals, circulars, publications, lectures, seminars, workshops, and conferences.
- To promote the unification of diverse Zomi nationals.
- To protect the rights of refugee workers.
- To advocate for human rights and gender balance within the Zomi social community.
- To do all lawful things incidental or conducive to attaining the above purposes.
Vision Statement:
- To provide various services and facilities for community development to the association’s members.
- To better understand humans’ vital societal roles and values while opposing discrimination and extremism.
- To promote and develop regional and international exchanges and cooperation in human resources, education, and research development for the Zomis.
- To defend Zomis’s rights from all kinds of discrimination and persecution.
- To develop a system that enhances the standards of ethics and a better lifestyle for the greater good of the Zomi people and the host country.
- To maintain the gentleness and beautiful traditions of the Zomi nationals while building a peaceful community in the host country and its neighbors.
Departments:
Healthcare Department: Since 2006, Health Care Volunteers of ZAM have been helping and caring for sick people and patients who are helpless, without dependents, and unaware of how to approach various health centers and services.
Zomi refugees in Malaysia face challenges that prevent them from visiting clinics or hospitals, such as:
- Language barriers.
- Financial constraints.
- Illegal status.
- Fear of arrest by authorities.
- Fear of gangsters, robbers, etc.
Despite these hardships, healthcare volunteers sacrifice their lives to protect and treat refugee patients. Although the association cannot financially support the volunteers beyond daily meals, they are actively involved in 24-hour service. The volunteers focus on needy patients, organizing with UNHCR and local medical centers to save lives. Their mission has positively impacted thousands, promoting health and well-being without prejudice.
Healthcare volunteers also host Health Awareness Seminars, sharing their experiences and providing accurate health-related knowledge based on Government Hospitals, UNHCR, and ACTS (A-Call-To-Serve) instructions.
Registration Department: Registration involves recording specific data about a member and issuing a unique Registration Number, identifying each entity or person. It establishes and maintains an accurate database of all members and contribution records.
Outreach and Intervention: Gaps/Problems:
- Lack of self-confidence and fear.
- Insecure life.
- Causes of death, arrest, and accidents.
Objectives:
- To provide knowledge.
- To intervene in times of arrest, death, and accidents.
- To offer security as much as possible.
Activities and Outputs:
- Awareness training and group discussions.
- Eight hundred members are expected to benefit from this program.
Zomi Women Department: Handicraft and Awareness Training: Gaps/Problems:
- Lack of knowledge and skills among housewives and refugee women leads to various difficulties in daily survival.
Objectives:
- To provide knowledge and skills.
Activities:
- Handicraft training and skill development.
- Group discussions.
Outputs:
- Eighty housewives and women are expected to benefit from this project.
Employment Department: Hundreds of Zomi refugees are jobless in the community. ZAM coordinates with UNHCR-EST, companies, factories, restaurants, hotels, etc., to provide suitable job opportunities for community members based on their qualifications or skills without charging money or commission. While UNHCR cannot assist every individual, these efforts help refugees become self-sufficient while staying in Malaysia.
Social Welfare Department: The Social Welfare Department is a crucial pillar for Zomi refugees in Malaysia, organizing vital social activities such as sports, cultural and festival activities, and funeral services.
1. Sports Activities: Sports can significantly aid adolescent refugee youths and elderly refugees in reclaiming a sense of normalcy and hope. These individuals have often endured immense suffering and trauma, witnessing oppression and persecution firsthand. The psychological impact does not dissipate upon arriving in Malaysia; many spend their entire year working without opportunities for sports or recreation.
Playing sports offers these refugees a semblance of normality, structure, and numerous psycho-social benefits. It provides an outlet for channeling their energy positively, which can benefit them for the rest of their lives, especially for youths escaping conflict situations.
ZAM annually organizes the Zomi Cup, which typically takes place in February, culminating in a closing ceremony on February 20th, Zomi National Day.
2. Cultural and Festival Activities: To preserve Zomi culture and educate future generations, two significant occasions are observed each year: Zomi National Day on February 20th and Khuado Pawi, celebrated on the full moon of October. These events feature fashion shows, cultural dances, and the chanting of traditional songs, preserving the heritage of Zomi forefathers.
3. Funeral Services: Each year, between fifteen and twenty-five members of the Zomi community lose their lives under various circumstances, creating financial burdens for their families. Organizing funeral services costs nearly RM100,000 annually for the community. This economic strain led to the establishment of the Zomi Social Welfare of Malaysia (ZSM) to meet these needs.
Zomi Education Center (ZEC):
Why the Zomi Education Center?
Like all children in Malaysia, Zomi children have a fundamental right to life, survival, and development to the fullest extent possible. However, living in exile, Zomi refugee children are often deprived of typical childhood experiences. Everyday activities, such as playing outdoors, become difficult due to constant worries, and these children lack access to formal education.
In Malaysia, there are thousands of Zomi children under 18, with only approximately 60% having access to education. This means that over 40% of Zomi school-aged children are not attending school.
To address this gap, the Zomi Association of Malaysia established the Zomi Education Center (ZEC), which organizes Learning Centers for children, often operating under resource-scarce conditions. These community-based learning centers, supported by the local community, are set up wherever significant Zomi populations are with school-aged children. Despite limited resources and a shortage of qualified teachers, Zomi volunteer teachers strive to establish these Learning Centers, typically held in rented flats or shop houses converted into classrooms. These classrooms are often overcrowded, lacking basic teaching facilities and play areas.
Education remains one of the most critical concerns for refugee parents, who hope their children will have a better life. The absence of basic education among refugee children will hinder their opportunities to improve their lives, creating an unskilled generation. Education aims to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives, enabling them to aspire to a better future.
Contact Us:
ZAM Office Address:
155 (A), 1st Floor, Jalan Maharajalela, 50150, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Office: (603) 2142 6659 & (603) 9226 1926
Fax: (603) 2142 6659
Hotline: (60) 16 293 9027
Email: zomiassociationmls@gmail.com
Website: www.zomimalaysia.org
Office Hours: Our office is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, including public holidays.