Stories

For Kalsoom, a refugee from Pakistan who has been in Indonesia for five years, 14 March 2018 was a special day. She was one of five speakers at a talk show titled “Get Involved and Stay Engaged: Urban Activism and More Opportunities for Women’s Empowerment.”

It was Monday morning when staff members of UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) arrived at SD Jongaya public elementary school, which is situated near a refugee accommodation in Makassar, South Sulawesi. On that day, four refugee children began their schooling for the first time since their arrival in Indonesia. They looked very excited as they passed through the school gate.

It was only 7 am in Jakarta, but the area of The ICE Palace Concert Hall, which is situated in a mall in the capital, was already packed with dozens of refugee youth. They were rehearsing for their performances at a cultural event to commemorate World Refugee Day (WRD) 2017 later that day. Some Somalian refugees practiced their dancing routines on stage, while a number of Ethiopian refugees prepared their costumes backstage.

The sun shines brightly over an inconspicuous building nestled in a tiny residential street in South Jakarta. Inside, some refugee children learn teamwork and conflict management, while others practice new English phrases. Still others giggle while attempting to pronounce English words. This is Roshan Learning Center, a bustling refugee oasis in a traditional Jakartan neighborhood.

Filippo Grandi meets with communities in restive Rakhine state to better understand their needs and challenges.

Dina Lusiana, 23, a Padang resident in West Sumatra, did not know what to do to apply for a birth certificate to register her first child at the local Population and Civil Registration Agency (Dukcapil).

Every week, Mustafa trains at the local public pool in Makassar, South Sulawesi, with his Indonesian friend, Alamsyah.

For the first time since leaving her country 1 year ago, Zainab is now sitting in a classroom. She is one of 35 refugee children in Jakarta enrolled in Indonesian public schools this year.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today appointed prominent Indonesian businessman and philanthropist, Dato Sri Tahir, as its third Eminent Advocate in recognition of his valuable and selfless work on behalf of millions of refugees.

Concerned business leaders and celebrities are joining hands with humanitarians and the general public tonight to help provide a better future for refugees everywhere through the Voices of Refugees concert.