Everyone Has Hope Project

Everyone Has Hope Project

In 2012, Colin Boyd Shafer, an instructor at Taylors College in Subang Jaya, was interested in bringing light to the refugee community in Kuala Lumpur. He worked with Taylor's college students and UNHCR volunteers to fundraise and deliver photography and digital literacy instruction to refugee students in the Malaysian community.  

Fast forward to February 2017, Heather Onderick, a former teacher volunteer, was inspired by the diverse population of KL and repurposed the project to be more inclusive. From the very beginning,  she wanted to infuse and generate hope in all members of the Malaysian community and include key stakeholders (including Malaysians, expatriates, refugees)  in developing, designing  and participating in the project. 

“Everyone Has Hope is a digital literacy project that aims to bring people together by illuminating the hopes and dreams of a diverse population. In a world full of many contradictions and challenges, hope is something that we need in order to move forward and survive. We believe that our student ambassadors embody hope and support their dedication to making the world around them more conscientious about their hopes and dreams.” Heather Onderick

What does Everyone Has Hope do?

Students work together in uniquely diverse teams (a Malaysian, a refugee and an expat) to interview the Malaysian community about their hopes and dreams for the future, with an intent to help promote unity, understanding and action.  The goal is that people will then be empowered through their interviews to transform their hopes and dreams into action. The project will also have a follow up correspondence with participants to see how far they have come in executing their dreams and making them a reality.   

A second hope is that when Malaysians, expats and refugees see the finished project, a photo exhibit and short documentary,  it will bring people in the Malaysian community closer together because they will see that although their lives may be very different, they share many common hopes and dreams for the future.  

What are the objectives of Everyone Has Hope?

• To foster understanding between three of Kuala Lumpur’s diverse communities (refugee community, expat community, Malaysian community) 
• To build leadership capacity in young adults
• To build digital literacy skills amongst young adults
• To develop project management skills amongst young adults

Why?  

Although diversity is widespread in Malaysia, rarely are there opportunities for authentic intercultural communication.  Everyone Has Hope promotes intercultural communication through the relationships its student ambassadors develop to deliver the project.  Furthermore, the socio-anthropological work the ambassadors conduct to unpack a country’s hopes and dreams allows for deeper intercultural communication and understanding amongst Malaysians.

Gold Sponsor :

Sponsorship Opportunities:

• Publicity about the project: radio interviews, news articles (print and digital) 
• Support with promoting the exhibit: printing costs, paper costs, etc
• Transportation services to help move ambassadors to excursion and interview sites
• Branding and Marketing
• Partnerships and Collaborators with a similar vision to ours
• Support with catering the exhibition 
• Crowdfunding at https://www.gofundme.com/ehh2k17 
• Follow us on Instagram at ehh_2k17
• Attend our exhibit at Publika Black Box on Sunday, May 21, 2017 from 5:30pm - 9.00 pm

Press Enquiries

For further information, imagery or to arrange an interview, please visit https://www.facebook.com/everyonehashopeproject  or 

contact Heather Onderick at honderick@iskl.edu.my  

T: +60176718716

** support this campaign.....