FRIENDS Tan Xin Wei and Ruth Ng have raised close to RM15,000 in one month for refugees through drawing and selling digital icon art.

The cash will now help feed refugee families who face hardship under the combined health and economic crises.

Tan, a freelance and self-taught illustrator, first announced the initiative on June 25 on her Instagram account.

“I was feeling helpless, I didn’t know how else to help (the refugees) but to offer people a little bit of motivation to donate and give,” the 29-year-old said.

The campaign successfully raised RM10,000 with the public making 80 orders.

“People were very supportive and generous. I’m not done drawing yet, (I still have) about 20 more icons to go,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

The proceeds from Tan and Ng will be given to the civil society group, Refuge for The Refugees (RFTR), whose founder is activist Heidy Quah Gaik Li.

“RFTR has always been close to my heart as I used to go in weekly to teach the refugee kids Sunday school.

“The kids are just like our friends and our children, full of innovation, motivation, determination, wonder, curiosity.

“So even as the movement control order (MCO) and the pandemic continue, I want to make a tiny difference with what I have,” Tan said.

She added that support came not just through orders, but through many who just clicked to share her initiative.

“I encouraged people to share it and not feel bad if they were not financially up to give a donation.

“I think it was because of that, the word spread and people came to help in different forms.

“One of my followers shared the initiative with her friends and asked them to donate as her birthday gift this year,” Tan said.

Ng, a third-year economics student from the University of Nottingham Malaysia, saw Tan’s initiative and was inspired to do the same.

“I thought ‘Hey, this is an excellent idea. If Xin Wei can do it, I can too!’

“She really paved the way and inspired me to do my part, even if it is small, to extend a helping hand.

“I had contemplated running fundraising before but never implemented it as I didn’t know how to start,” Ng said.

The 21-year-old added that Tan kindly shared her system and made it easy for Ng to carry her own initiative.

“I followed her model of offering icon art for a minimum donation of RM60.

“My goal was to raise RM600 per week, which would be sufficient to feed 10 families,” she said.

Ng announced her campaign four days after Tan, and successfully collected RM5,000 by July 19 to feed 82 families.

“Truthfully, during that time, I was discouraged by all that was happening in our nation.

“To hear news of rising suicide rates, rocket high daily Covid-19 cases, and political turmoil, was disheartening.

“Instead of focusing on the actions of selfish individuals, I took heart in the joint efforts of the people to help others,” Ng told The Malaysian Insight.

She said the #kitajagakita movement and the white flag initiative had also convinced her when hope was crumbling.

“Even if we can only impact that one person, it is worth it, because every person is precious,” Ng said. – August 12, 2021.