IMPACT
The FOSTER study was shortlisted for the Nature Inclusive Research Award 2024 and included in their Best Practice Toolkit, showcasing its role in advancing health equity.
It was also awarded the Session Best Presentation at the 2023 9th International Conference on Public Health (ICOPH), under the category of Primary Healthcare, Infant and Child Health.
11 refugee learning centers covered under the program
86 teachers trained in mass COVID-19 Self-Testing and managing surveillance in refugee learning centers.
1212 students tested and covered under the COVID-19 prevention program.
609 parents reached
12,818 COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits distributed through the refugee learning centres to staff, students, parents and families till May 2023. Free self-test kits will be provided till June 2024.
The Director General of Health, Datuk Dr. Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan, who was a member of the Technical Working Group of the study, in a recorded video statement said,
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the school closure has greatly disrupted the life of the children, in particular the refugee children. Maintaining in-person education consistently and safely for these children must be our most important mission. The FOSTER study is an exemplary example of how this can be done successfully and by extension, how schools can be the most relevant entry points to reach the wider refugee community.”
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the school closure has greatly disrupted the life of the children, in particular the refugee children. Maintaining in-person education consistently and safely for these children must be our most important mission. The FOSTER study is an exemplary example of how this can be done successfully and by extension, how schools can be the most relevant entry points to reach the wider refugee community.”
We Can help someone
FEEDBACK FROM TEACHERS
Marshita binti Idris, Rohingya Education Centre Klang (JREC)
Marshita binti Idris, Rohingya Education Centre Klang (JREC)
Special thanks to HEI and Monash team for giving us and JREC, an opportunity to join this program (FOSTER). From the training given, teachers practise the right procedures during the roll out to the students and the community. Students could use the self-test kits to check for the COVID-19 virus when they have symptoms. From the roll out, students can share knowledge to guide their family and community. Hence, the self-test kits given to students is one of the ways to control the spread of COVID-19 in the community. I hope that if there is another similar program in the future, let's approach refugees community again.
Ustazah Fanah Najwa Zainuddin, Baitul Rahmah
Before the program, majority of the students didn't know how to do a self-test. Also, they were not aware of COVID-19. After the program, most of the students knew how to do a self-test on their own and they became more alert and aware towards their health. So when they got sick, they know how to do a test and quarantine themselves if they have any symptoms.
Nu Nu, Alliance of Chin Refugee Learning Centre (ACRL)
Before the program, majority of the students didn't know how to do a self-test. Also, they were not aware of COVID-19. After the program, most of the students knew how to do a self-test on their own and they became more alert and aware towards their health. So when they got sick, they know how to do a test and quarantine themselves if they have any symptoms.
Esther, KRLC Setapak
We would like to thank you to teach us this very useful program to
our community and ourselves. It was very useful and we managed to
learn a lot and we can use it at our school and even prepare for
future pandemics.
Kudzai Charlton, Fugee School
After the pandemic, everyone had a different understanding of how self testing kits actually work, as we all might have used one at some point of. Project FOSTER came at the right time with the needed information and training on how to properly use self testing kits. The project really helped Fugee school in being able to solidify and perfect its existing SOPs on suspect covid cases. The teachers and the students really enjoyed the sessions and felt empowered within having the right understanding of how to use the self testing kits and keep themselves safe.
Mohamad Bin Yasin, Rohingya Community School
Before we attended the training, we only carried out the COVID-19 self test on symptomatic students by teachers not by students themselves as we did not have enough test kits due to limited budget. With the help from this project, we are able to do it on every student especially when they come back from school holiday. We also learned how to carry out the test in a proper manner or procedures. Indeed, the training was particularly useful to all teachers out there.
Contact Us
+603 - 5514 4916
sharuna.verghis@monash.edu
Malaysia