This is a common challenge faced by close to 190,000 refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia. These individuals aren’t legally recognised by the country and are therefore unable to work or attend government schools. Here, in this space of uncertainty, they live their lives in limbo while awaiting resettlement, a process that is not guaranteed.

With dwindling cash reserves, Razieh started a home-based business selling herbal medicine. But her venture came with painful lessons. “The first time I imported organic honey, it spilled when I brought it in the taxi. My entire capital was lost,” she recounts.

Then in 2021, the mother of a teenage daughter discovered Talenpac, a social enterprise that runs a free micro entrepreneurship programme for refugees. Over the course of five months, refugees from countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia meet weekly to brainstorm ideas and develop skills needed to run a business. Besides these  workshops, they also attend individual coaching sessions that are tailored to their business needs. “There’s a misconception that refugees are all poor and illiterate, just desperate for work. But you’ll find that they come from all walks of life, including educated doctors, dentists and lawyers who find themselves in (a difficult) position,” explains Charu Agarwal, the co-founder of Talenpac. A lawyer by training, she started the social enterprise to help promote economic self-sufficiency among refugees based in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, many of whom face challenges such as language barriers, discrimination and the lack of legal recourse.