TULUS Digital, an Islamic social financial technology start-up, is partnering with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to crowdfund for refugee communities in Malaysia.

It recently launched a mobile application of the same name and through it, aims to raise RM2.4 million or US$600,000 for UNHCR programmes on refugee health and education, as well as for the UNHCR to conduct gender-based anti-violence programmes.

Tulus Digital executive director Ahmad Azrin Zainal Abidin said through this partnership, UNHCR can expand the pool of donors.

To raise the desired sum, Tulus will be working closely with the UNHCR to engage the public and strategic partners over the next few years.

“Education support will go towards providing both primary and secondary refugee students with transport allowances, school materials, and other accessories,” Azrin said.

Meanwhile, UNHCR representative Thomas Albrecht, said education support will go towards providing both primary and secondary refugee students with transport allowances, school materials, and other accessories. 

Some of the support raised will also go towards utilities and the covering of teacher salaries to help sustain refugee schools in Malaysia, which are run as independent initiatives.

On healthcare, Albrecht said UNHCR Malaysia will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Health, to ensure refugees have affordable access to health care in public health facilities.

“Currently, UNHCR document holders are entitled to a 50% discount off the foreigner’s rate.

“However, it is still far from affordable for many refugees as they lack access to legal work and struggle to generate income for themselves and their families,” Albrecht said.

Other health initiatives in the works are to have an NGO partner clinic for refugees. Such a clinic would provide integrated primary care services, including mental health services, community health education and second-line treatment.

Tulus’s crowdfunding and the distribution of funds will be subjected to UNHCR’s global processes on transparency and accounting, Azrin said, but he doesn’t expect bureaucracy to be too much of a burden as specific activities have been earmarked for funding.

“This means as soon as money is disbursed, UNHCR will be able to implement it very shortly after,” he said.

As of January 2021, there are 178,710 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia.

Some 68% of refugees and asylum-seekers are men, while 32% are women, and 45,630 are children below the age of 18. – April 7, 2021.