“No Place to Call Home: The Struggle of Ahmadi Refugee Families in Malaysia”
When you walk through the narrow streets of Kuala Lumpur’s low-cost flats, you may not notice the quiet apartment where Ayesha and her children live. It is a single small room with peeling paint, a mattress on the floor, and two plastic chairs in the corner. A small gas stove sits on the floor, next to a few utensils and a single pot that cooks all their meals—when there is food to cook.
Ayesha is an Ahmadi Muslim refugee mother from Pakistan. In her home country, she was a teacher, respected in her community, living a simple but dignified life with her husband and two children. But one day, everything changed. Neighbors she had known for years came to her home, accusing her of pretending to be a Muslim. They threatened her family, telling them to leave or face the consequences. In Pakistan, Ahmadis are declared non-Muslims by law, and practicing their faith openly can lead to arrest, violence, or even death.
Ayesha’s husband was beaten when he tried to protect his family. They had no choice but to leave, fleeing at night with only a few clothes and documents, leaving behind their home, family, and the graves of their parents.
They arrived in Malaysia in 2017, hoping to find safety and a chance to live with dignity. Malaysia does not recognize refugees legally, and while they can register with the UNHCR, this does not give them the right to work legally. Without an income, they struggled to find shelter. They moved from one overcrowded room to another, often sharing with other families, unable to pay rent on time, fearing eviction every month.
Ayesha’s husband took small, informal jobs to earn enough for rice, oil, and sometimes vegetables, but the fear of arrest was constant. One day, during a raid, he was arrested for working without legal papers and detained for months. Without him, Ayesha was alone with her children, terrified, with no money to pay rent, no money for food, and no one to help.
“I would boil water to fill the children’s stomachs when we had no food,” Ayesha recalls, tears filling her eyes. “They would ask me why we were not eating, and I would tell them stories to distract them.”
Sometimes neighbors would share a little rice, or a local mosque would give a food parcel, but it was never enough. Ayesha tried to find work cleaning homes, but the fear of being caught without papers was real. If caught, she could be detained, and her children left alone.
Her eldest son, Ahmed, who was 9, wanted to go to school, but public schools in Malaysia do not accept refugees. He would sit by the window watching other children in uniforms walk by, asking his mother why he could not join them. It broke Ayesha’s heart every day.
“I tell my children to pray to Allah, and He will open a way for us,” she says.
After months of living in fear, Ayesha connected with a small refugee-led learning centre where Ahmed and his younger sister could learn basic reading, writing, and English. It was a small ray of hope, but it meant additional costs for books, transport, and meals. Ayesha had nothing.
Then came the pandemic, and everything became worse.
The small cleaning jobs Ayesha relied on disappeared. The learning centre closed temporarily. Food prices increased, and landlords demanded rent or threatened eviction. Many Ahmadi refugee families faced similar struggles, hiding in rooms, afraid of raids, unable to feed their children, unable to pay for medicine, unable to go outside without fear.
In those dark days, refugee-led initiatives like RefugeeHelp.site began to provide urgent food packs to families like Ayesha’s. Ayesha received rice, oil, flour, sugar, and some vegetables, enough to feed her children for a few weeks. For the first time in months, she cooked a full meal for her children, who laughed when they saw real food on their plates.
“I felt like a mother again, seeing them eat and smile,” Ayesha says.
But the challenges remain. Ayesha still lives in fear of eviction. Her husband was released but cannot work legally, and his health has deteriorated due to the detention conditions. They cannot afford medical checkups. The children need clothes, shoes, and basic necessities.
Resettlement is the dream, but it is a slow, uncertain process. Many Ahmadi families in Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Nepal wait years for resettlement, with no guarantees. In the meantime, they live in limbo—unable to work, unable to send their children to school formally, unable to return to Pakistan where persecution awaits, and unable to move forward.
Despite everything, Ayesha remains hopeful.
“I pray that my children can one day go to school, that we can live without fear, that we can contribute to society and not just survive.”
Every month, RefugeeHelp.site receives requests from Ahmadi families like Ayesha’s:
Families who need food to survive the month.
Families who need help with rent to avoid eviction.
Children who need school supplies to continue learning.
Sick parents needing basic medicines.
Families dreaming of resettlement and a future without fear.
Without community support, these families risk hunger, homelessness, and hopelessness. But with your help, we can provide urgent relief and dignity to those who have suffered in silence.
How You Can Help
$25 can provide a food pack for a family for a week. $50 can help a refugee child continue learning by covering learning centre fees, books, and meals. $100 can pay part of a family’s rent, preventing eviction and keeping them safe. $250 can provide emergency medical assistance to a refugee parent in need. Any amount you give can save lives and bring hope.
Why Help Ahmadi Refugees?
Ahmadi refugees are persecuted for their faith and forced to leave their homes. In host countries, they often have no legal right to work or send children to school. They live in constant fear, but they are determined, resilient, and only need a chance to rebuild their lives.
Your support is more than charity—it is a stand for justice, human dignity, and hope.
Real Stories, Real Impact
RefugeeHelp.site documents its support transparently, sharing photos (faces blurred for safety) and updates with donors, ensuring your contributions reach those who need them most. We are a refugee-led initiative, understanding the challenges deeply and committed to using every dollar wisely.
Join Us Today
You can become part of this mission:
Donate now. Share this story with your friends, family, and community. Pray for these families. Volunteer your skills to support.
“When you help one refugee family, you are saving a generation from hunger, ignorance, and fear. Together, we can bring light where there has only been darkness.”