Leadership Retreat in Malaysia

Applications are now open for our Leadership Retreat in Malaysia in July 2025.

The leadership cohort of 8-16 high school and/or college students will carry out a short-term internship at the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This retreat offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience—blending leadership development, hands-on humanitarian work, cultural exploration, and global networking. Through this program, you will gain an in-depth understanding of the refugee crisis in Malaysia, engage in humanitarian work, and make a direct impact by providing education and aid to those in need.

Retreat Highlights

🌍 Global Internship & Humanitarian Experience – Step into the world of international aid, working alongside UNHCR officials to understand and support refugee communities.

🚀 Leadership & Practical Skills Development – Enhance your cross-cultural communication, problem-solving, and teaching abilities while making a real impact.

📖 Teach & Empower – Provide English or Mandarin lessons to refugee children aged 7-12, helping them gain essential language skills for a better future.

🍽️ Hands-On Humanitarian Work – Distribute relief meals, assist in refugee support programs, and gain a firsthand understanding of global displacement challenges.

🎓 Earn an International Volunteer Certificate & UN Recommendation –

• All participants receive an official UNHCR project participation certificate.

• Exceptional performers (top 10-15%) will receive a personalized recommendation letter from a UNHCR official, a valuable asset for university and job applications.

📝 Master Digital Storytelling – Learn to create compelling videos or write powerful personal essays and articles to document and share your experience.

✨ A Life-Changing Experience – Immerse yourself in one of the world’s most urgent humanitarian issues, develop resilience, situational judgment skills, and critical leadership skills for university applications, future careers, and beyond.

Background Information

As of November 2024, more than 190,000 refugees and asylum seekers are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia. These individuals come from over 50 countries, most having fled their homelands due to war, persecution, and other crises.

Among them:

• 170,000+ are from Myanmar, including Rohingya and other ethnic minorities.

• 5,700 from Pakistan

• 3,140 from Yemen

• 2,680 from Syria

• 2,800 from Somalia

• 2,750 from Afghanistan

• 1,100 from Sri Lanka

• 510 from Iraq

• 560 from Palestine

More than 50,000 are minors, many without access to formal education or basic resources.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

FEE STRUCTURE

Step into Kenya. Step into Leadership. Step into Impact.

Leadership isn’t just about strategy—it’s about action, resilience, and the ability to create real change. The Global Slate Leadership Retreat is an immersive, high-impact experience designed to shape the next generation of global leaders. This is not your hot-girl-summer vacation; it’s a journey that challenges you to lead with purpose, adapt with agility, and leave a lasting, transformative impact.

Retreat Highlights

🌍 Global Internship & Exploration – Gain hands-on experience while immersing yourself in a transformative international setting.

🚀 Leadership & Practical Skills Development – Build problem-solving, cross-cultural communication, and storytelling abilities through real-world engagement.

🐘 Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure – Travel across Africa, experience the Great Migration, and witness the breathtaking landscapes of Maasai Mara.

🎓 Earn International Volunteer & Leadership Certificates – Make a tangible impact while enhancing your academic and professional profile.

📹 Master Digital Storytelling – Learn how to create compelling videos or write powerful articles to document and share your journey.

✨ Lasting Impacts– Connect with like-minded peers, broaden your horizons, and allow the experience to transform you while making a difference.

Why Kenya?

Kenya is a land of contrasts—breathtaking landscapes, dynamic cultures, and communities rich in spirit but underserved in opportunity. At the heart of this retreat is Mukuru Maasai, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, where leadership isn’t just a concept but a daily necessity for survival and change.

What You’ll Experience:

🌍 Real-World Leadership Training

• Work alongside Dream Building Service Association (DBSA), a nonprofit operating in alignment with the UN’s SDGs, the organisation has been working hard to promote youth empowerment in vulnerable areas in countries such as Kenya and Uganda since 2015.

• Engage in hands-on leadership challenges—fundraising, problem-solving, and community-driven impact.

🎨 Empower Through Creativity

• Partner with local youth in interactive art co-creation sessions, where self-expression fuels empowerment.

• Contribute to the Slum Art Festival, where your collaborative work may be exhibited globally in China, France, and the UK.

⚽ Mentor Young Artists and Athletes

• Witness the Dream World Cup & Talent Show, where resilience meets talent.

• Mentor young artists and athletes, helping them refine their craft and amplify their voices on the world stage.

📰 Be the Voice of Change

• Create compelling stories through blogs, short films, and social media to raise awareness and funds for the 2025 Slum Festival.

• Every post, every dollar raised, brings an aspiring young artist closer to their dream.

🐘 Witness the Power of Nature

• Conclude with a breathtaking safari in Maasai Mara, where you’ll witness the Great Migration, nature’s greatest lesson in perseverance and strategy.

Who Should Join?

• Aspiring leaders who want real-world impact and field-experience beyond classrooms and libraries.

• Creators and storytellers who believe in the power of narratives to drive change.

• Individuals seeking purpose-driven leadership experiences.

This isn’t just leadership training. It’s transformative, immersive, and life-changing.

Are you ready to lead beyond limits?

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

June – July 2025

📚 Pre-Departure Training – Online sessions on Video Production or Crafting Powerful Narratives to prepare for storytelling and fundraising efforts.

July 10

✈ Arrival in Nairobi – Airport pickup provided. Please book flights arriving between 10AM- 8PM.

July 11 – 14

🏫 Community Engagement & Impact Projects

• Visit four schools built and supported by Dream Building Service Association (DBSA).

• Engage in deep interactions with students in the Mukuru Maasai slum, co-creating art projects with young local artists.

• Observe and participate in the International Free Lunch Program, serving meals to local children and witnessing the tangible impact of aid from China.

• Tour the Dream Space International Volunteer Center and visit the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi for an educational session on global development efforts.

🌍 Evening Work Sessions

• Guided mentorship on video production or article/personal essay writing to support fundraising and awareness campaigns.

July 15 – 17

🐘 Nature & Cultural Exploration in Maasai Mara

• Travel to Maasai Mara National Park to witness the Great Migration, one of the world’s most breathtaking natural spectacles.

• Stop at the Great Rift Valley Viewpoint, where you’ll experience the grandeur of the "Crossroads of East Africa."

• Visit the Maasai Market, immersing yourself in the culture of the indigenous Maasai nomadic tribe.

🌍 Evening Work Sessions

• Continue video production and storytelling efforts under mentorship, refining content for fundraising and advocacy.

July 18

🎓 Closing Ceremony & Departure

• Wrap-up reflections and departure. Please book flights departing between 10AM-8PM.

This experience is designed to be immersive, hands-on, and transformative—helping you build leadership, storytelling, and impact-driven skills while making a real difference. 🌟

FEE STRUCTURE

Join The Global Slate Leadership Retreat—where leadership is more than a skill, it’s a legacy.

📩 Apply Now & Be Part of the Change.

Explore Nepal with the OVERSEAS Documentary Team!

This August, join our exclusive filmmaking and storytelling journey in Nepal, where we uncover untold stories of resilience, ambition, and cultural fusion.

📽️ Meet extraordinary individuals who have built thriving businesses against all odds:
🔹 A visionary farmer who transformed an urban space into a lush oasis.
🔹 The “Tofu King” who spent over a decade introducing tofu to Nepalese markets and dining tables.
🔹 A pastry master who won over locals with Chinese-style pastries, waking before dawn every day to perfect his craft.
🔹 A tea entrepreneur, who started as an innkeeper and later built a Himalayan high-mountain tea brand.

💡 Capture their journeys through film or writing while experiencing the breathtaking landscapes and rich heritage of Nepal.

在尼泊尔，有几次被骗光存款，不得已留下创业，几经波折， 在闹市中心打造出一片室外桃园的农场主;有花十几年时间， 把豆腐引入当地连锁超市和市场、摆上当地人餐桌的“豆腐大王”;有每天天不亮就开工，用年复一年的守护，让当地人喜欢上中式蛋糕的面点大师;有嫁给当地人，从兴致勃勃⻛⻛火火开江湖客栈，到转型打造喜⻢拉雅高山茶品牌的女强人...... 他们的故事不为广大观众所知，他们的经历绝对超乎你的想象! 另外，此行将游览加德满都谷地三处世界文化遗产，并欣赏喜⻢拉雅山脉日出奇景!

🌄 Trip Highlights:
✅ Film & Interview inspiring entrepreneurs in Kathmandu
✅ Create your own short documentary or written piece under expert mentorship
✅ Explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Kathmandu Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square
✅ Witness the majestic sunrise over the Himalayas from Nagarkot

📅 TENTATIVE ITINERARY

FEE STRUCTURE