Los Arcos Visit

After a long week of sitting at the computer compiling a list of resources specific to each apartment complex for the refugees with a brief [but entertaining] interlude of hard labor, the highlight of the week was getting to visit with the refugees at Los Arcos Apartments. While I was happy that we were getting to interact with new refugees [which is pretty much the core of the Women's Issues group--one on one interaction with the refugees], I was a little disheartened after Katy had informed us of some manipulation on the part of refugees. I can't really fault them for it, but hearing that the group's efforts and hard work were being taken advantage of really didn't do much to feed the fire of my incentive to help.
So with a tiny bit of skepticism, I accompanied both my team and workforce development to Los Arcos Apartments, where we were lead to a community room filled with refugees. Workforce dealt with the men, while Women's Issues [unsurprisingly] dealt with the women. It's what we do.
Anyway, Agatha, Katie, and I divided our group of women into 3 groups so that we could complete the census in a more efficient and personal manner than if all 3 of us did it together--I think that would have seemed more like an interrogation, which probably isn't the best way to go about building trust. At first I was very nervous about talking to my group of women by myself;usually, Agatha and Katy and Katie do most of the talking, while I interject with a few questions every now and then [If I were in the position of the refugee women, I think I'd feel better explaining my problems and personal information with the people who've graduated from high school already]. In retrospect, the feeling was completely absurd. The women at Los Arcos were incredibly open, eager, and willing to answer every question to the best of their abilities. A very good deal of them spoke English, which made it much easier to communicate with the women and made the census questions fly by. There was even some casual banter after we were done with the formalities of the census.
The general consensus was that they all want jobs. As one refugee described it to me, "If we find jobs, then every other problem solves itself." It was clearly a burdensome worry for each of the women I talked to; there was even a fear that only 15 refugees at the apartments would get jobs. However, that rumor was quickly dispelled, and it was reiterated that Workforce would do their best to supply them with the resources and knowledge they would need to find jobs. Reassured, they all left and thanked us for our help.
All in all, it was a very good day. Basically, I went into the apartments with a reserve of cynicism [just in case], and left with faith in humanity. I have very high hopes for Los Arcos.

Workforce Development

The workforce development team has been working hard for almost 3 weeks now! Our responsibility is to provide refugees with the job skills they need to succeed in Houston. We spent our first week getting to know refugees. We assessed their needs, talked about their experiences looking for jobs in the US now, and learned about the challenges they have faced. We've visited two of the apartment complexes already. We have a vast array of challenges to overcome: many of the refugees don't speak or read English, some have health problems, very few of them have cars or reliable transportation, and many of them lack the work experience or knowledge to easily find a job in the U.S.

While we started out researching available jobs in the area and helping refugees edit their resumes, we have moved away from that. We've since decided to focus on training refugees to take control of their own job search and professional development. Right now, we're creating the materials needed for training. We're planning a resume and job skills workshop (complete with a mock interview!), English classes, and computer classes. We need English teachers who can commit to at least six months: if anyone is interested, please contact us!

I'm looking forward to more cooperation with local agencies. It seems like there are so many services being offered to refugees in the area, particularly in the skills that we're trying to develop. Imagine how much more powerful a coordinated effort to support refugees would be!

planting trust

This has been quite an eventful week. My primary focus has been working on the community garden project, trying to get supplies donated and secure our location. It turns out that our original donor is no longer able to offer his land but another volunteer offered his spacious backyard, so all is not lost. I actually think that this smaller size will work well because it will force our gardeners to be a close-knit group with a set schedule and leader.

I also posted a grant application on dosomething.org (check out Solidarity Community Garden) in hopes of getting volunteers and supplies (soil, tools, hoses, watering cans, etc.). This morning we moved the donated concrete bricks to the garden site and it was really great to see the project under way. Even if in baby steps, we are moving forward and laughing a lot in the process. You just have to love team work. And getting lost in Houston!

I also worked to schedule follow-up meetings at various apartments and one introductory meeting at the apartment with the largest number of refugees. It is really interesting to notice how each apartment has a very distinct personality, and I can’t figure out if it is because of the amount of time the refugees have been in the country, whether or not they are still receiving the 90 days of aid and from which organization, or their neighborhoods and security.

Two themes that I’m noticing are desperation and community. In some apartments, these go hand in hand to balance each other. In other apartments, the desperation seems to overcome any chance at community; there is such a need for employment, and the desired job, that our efforts to help our often frustrated. It seems that where a sense of community and initiative remains, we have made much more progress. So, how do you build trust, encourage honesty, and repair community? Tricky questions, but ultimately SEWA and Women’s Issues’ goal.

Obstacles are part of life and of any worthwhile project. So honestly, I’m not that frustrated with the challenges we have faced thus far. Instead, I think I am now more committed to lead this Women’s Issues group. Our work is both never ending and unpredictable because we have to convince the Bhutanese community- especially the men- that we are not trying to Americanize the women but help the Bhutanese women live whole, safe, and satisfied lives in America. We are here to learn as much as we are hoping to share our Houston resources with them. Team work!

Victoria Park and World Refugee Day

Coucou! Today was a fairly interesting day. First my women's issues team along with Public Relations and Workforce Development went to Victoria Park Apts. this afternoon. While Workforce Development held a resume-building and career skills assessment workshop, women's issues and PR went to speak one-on-one with the Bhutanese women at the apts. Unfortunately, the majority of them had been hauled off to church and dentist appointment by Alliance. Hence, we were were left with very few women and girls to speak to at Victoria. We still got the information we wanted from the women and girls that were there. In fact, I believe we received more than the logistics information but more trust and honesty from the women. Bisa's husband was primarily in the apt. with us but we all noticed that as soon as he left, she confided in us even more. I noticed a sudden shift in the atmosphere in the room as she shifted her chair closer with almost just 12 inches separating her from the two Katies as they asked her some questions. She began to volunteer more personal information about her health and medical concerns to them. It was astounding to watch. Bisa's neighbor, who had brought both Bisa's son and her own 2 yr old son to the apt. even suddenly moved to sit next to me on the couch as I asked her questions. She even began to volunteer information about wanting to continue going to college here. She'd started going to college in Nepal but was not able to finish because of the costs. I told her that I'd look into getting her into a community college. However, the main obstacle for both of the women is finding someone to look after their children. The women voiced that their husbands always rely on them to take care their children 24/7, not necessarily taking the load off of the women. This will definitely be a short-term goal for our women's issues team; to find a community daycare, whether it is one within the apts in which the elderly can get together and help look after the young kids or one outside the apts that offers free daycare services. This is a very vital implementation for our team because the women cannot work or continue schooling when they must constantly look after their kids. This calls to mind another goal for us, which is to implement the idea of community-building among the Bhutanese refugees within each apt or among the neighboring apartments. Sometimes, I get the feeling that the refugees feel like it is "survival of the fittest," as if there is a lack of communication and full support for one another because everyone is so focused on getting themselves fully settled within the Houston community. I also believe that our garden and art/crafts project, if sucessful, will eventually bring the women and their families closer together. Thus, community-building might not be too hard to come into play.
After our conversation with the women, we were able to take some of the younger girls, including Padma and Indra, with us to Westland YMCA for the celebration of World Refugee Day. Essentially, the event was about them. There were many refugees from different regions of the world, including Africa and Bhurma, at the event. Each shared an insight into their culture by way of performing their cultural dances and the like. Six of our Bhutanese girls performed a traditional dance and looked absolutely beautiful. We could see the enjoyment and "plaisir" on the other Bhutanese girls as they watched them remind them of the pleasant cultural traditions. It was amazing to watch. At our Sewa Int'l booth at the fair, we were able to share the vision of our different teams within our organization to those who'd never heard of Sewa. I was able to walk around and do bit of networking with the other non-profit groups there. I met up with a representative from UNA-Houston organization who brought up a discussion about microfinance. She has valuable contacts that would be help for our women's issues team, not just for community awareness but also for our long-term goals of the women starting their own businesses.
All in all, it was a very productive day for women's issues. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Apartment visits

I am quite pleased with my Women’s Issues team and their dedication. This past Wednesday, our team, along with Public Relations and Workforce Development, visited several Bhutanese families. Their optimism and determination was transparent in the manner in which they interacted with us and with each other. When visiting the families, the primary goal of my team is to understand the specific problems the women of the families are facing. For instance, many women want to work but are unable to do so because of the young ages of the children. One suggestion, which both the interns and the women seemed to find agreeable, was the utilization of the elderly women in the families to be caretakers of the children so that they mothers could work. In our attempts to gain understanding of such issues, we constantly face the obstacle of speaking to the women on an individual basis due to the presence of men and children at our meetings. We are very excited about our visit with the women this upcoming Saturday as it will be the first time we will converse solely with them.
The group members are beginning to understand that, besides employment and language issues, there is an intricate web of complexities the refugees are undergoing, such as general mistrust of the new environment, doubts about their futures, gender roles, etc. Interacting with them, I begin to reminisce about my own experience in coming to the United States. For a great deal of time, I dreaded going to school and speaking to other people, simply because I felt my uncertainty and fear would be visible to all. I receive this impression from the refugees as well. I do not think us interns can necessarily eradicate such feelings; however, we do our best to at least put them at ease since cooperation between us is the only way of bringing forth positive results in their lifestyles. I am constantly asking my mom to share some of her feelings from when we first arrived so as to better understand the internal issues of the women.
I speak on behalf of my whole team when I say that the internship is an extremely rewarding and humbling experience. The open-mindedness, sensitivity, and optimism of my team makes every day an enjoyable one.

first apartment visit

This Friday marked our first group visit to one of the apartments, V.P. Without really knowing what to expect, this trip offered a range of insights into the issues facing the Bhutanese. We began by meeting the apartment coordinator. The coordinator serves as the link between SEWA and the refugees. Generally, he or she is also the refugee that has the most English proficiency and has been in Houston the longest. After meeting his family and talking in his apartment, our group followed him on a family by family tour.

What struck me immediately about this afternoon was the sense of hospitality that filled each room. We were offered juice, greeted with heart-warming namaste and introduced to family members. I particularly noticed, as we tried to gather a family census, that there were just as many neighbors in a given room as blood relations. Our apartment coordinator explained that since the children were so used to living among thousands in the camps, they were not used to the boundary of doors and family divisions.

Another striking element of our visit was the number of health problems. Kidney stones were quite common, and their prevalence made me wonder if there might be a nutritional cause/deficit (most of them are on food-stamps and adjusting to a different cuisine). Thus, transportation appeared an issue not only for finding and keeping jobs but also for frequent trips to the ER.

Two other interests that we noticed were a love of soccer among the young boys and a fondness for crocheting among some of the women. Women’s Issues Group is going to try and incorporate these interests into our art and entertainment projects, and maybe even use the crocheting as a means to generate extra income. But when a 68 year old grandmother spoke urgently through the coordinator of her desire to learn English, there was no denying that ESL classes must be goal number one. Most individuals want to work but there are definitely still obstacles of language, access to and knowledge of resources, and attempts to join/retain community. Education, English, and employment remain our priorities as we strategize how to provide resources and empower these families.

day one planning

First of all, I feel so lucky to be part of my small team of dedicated women. It's a great feeling to know that you can trust your co-volunteers to get the job done and done with heart.

Second, I think day one finds us in the tricky balance of far reaching goals and realistic possibilities. Our fruitful brainstorming sessions have created ideas such as a museum display of the children's art, a community garden and farmers' market sales, crafts as community builders and as English instruction, mentoring programs, health and abuse support groups, and childcare for working parents. The suggestions are so plentiful and the desire to help is so great that it is sometimes hard to compromise the desire to help with the reality that we cannot do it all, or cannot do it all at once.

We continually repeat that our priorities are securing jobs and teaching English. Without these two elements, any attempt at community building is severly limited. Add to this the sensitive issues of gender divisions from the refugees' experiences, traditions, or economic concerns...and the goal of talking to the women one on one grows even more dim.

But I feel that my group is headed in the right direction. We are planning projects that we hope will welcome the women and children to their new home, and create a bond of trust. We are also preparing ourselves to shelve any of these projects at the drop of a hat. These three months have to be about us offering ourselves as helpers, and observing. We will need to read between the lines of family dynamics, exaggerated or simplified answers, and language barriers. It's a play by ear scenario balanced with the mission to serve, empower, and welcome.

Meeting some of the refugees

These past couple of weeks have been a bit eye-opening for me. I was impressed by everyone during the orientation a week ago and I am honored to be working with so many compassionate and self-giving people. I can't wait to observe and to participate in every intricate part of building a relationship with the refugees. Meeting the refugees for the first time yesterday, was a bit challenging for me because I felt like I didn't really have a middle ground with which to communicate. I don't know the language and I know very little about the cultural customs even though I've been doing a bit of research on it so that this isn't so foreign to me. When my group met with a Bhutanese girl and her aunt, I had so many questions running through my head but as my group was firing away with their own questions, my questions began to shrink and dissipate. I observed and took notes more than anything because I was getting more that way. As I watched the girl and her aunt express their concerns to us, I felt their frustration. It is a bit frustrating when one has so little resources to live on daily and has such a difficult time expressing those concerns. There are so many barriers, with transportation, communication, lack of computer skills, job search, medical care, etc. that it almost seems that one's hands are tied behind their back with no where to turn. But thanks to SEWA International, their hands can be set free and a clear path can be set before them to live more peaceful lives. In spite of my ignorance of the language and culture, I felt that I understood a little bit of what the girl was experiencing with my own background, immigrating from Nigeria as a 7-year old girl. My family's situation was a bit similar to hers. We didn't come as refugees but when we got here, assimilating into the culture was slightly difficult, specifically because most of our family were still in Nigeria. We were on our own here, with few friends of whom my parents knew. Immigrating to another country, for whatever the reason, is always a challenge because one must always find a middle ground between conserving their own culture while integrating into the culture of the community around them. (By culture, I mean the language, traditions, and so forth). As these weeks go by, I pray that I am able to forego my own insecurity of "not knowing enough" and simply be a helping hand for these women. And as Hiba mentioned, it's vital to understand that these refugees are all individuals and to avoid putting them into one category as "Bhutanese refugees." I do want to form a friendship with the women so that each face has a name and a personality by which to remember. This will allow me to learn so much more than I could ever learn doing research on my own about the culture.

Agatha

Orientation Reflection

Hello everyone,
I'm really glad that I found SEWA and our first meeting location!
I was initially drawn to the Women's Issues group because of my studies in urban agriculture and community building at college. I think that the two inevitably go hand in hand because one of the most basic facts of life is that we all need to eat. Growing healthy food together in a way that honors local traditions, creates green pockets in a city, and opens dialogue, is one of my biggest sources of inspiration.

I feel that the overriding goal of the Women's Issues group is to form relationships. While direct communication might be tricky, hopefully with a translator or two my group will be able to hear the refugees stories and future goals.
I am going into this experience not assuming anything because, frankly, I cannot claim to know anything about being in a refugee camp for 18 years. Instead, I approach these early weeks as listener and learner.

My focus right now is to help with the survey and hopefully get the ball rolling on a community garden. Even if the time of year doesn't cooperate with a full-scale planting, I hope a dialogue about loses, desires, frustrations, and hopes, will create the same time of common ground.

I was very inspired by the other volunteers dedication- many of them giving to SEWA alongside full time jobs- and hope to learn from their service as much as from the refugees.

Goals

Hey guys,
Hope everyone is doing well. After meeting you all at orientation (sorry about being so late) this past Saturday, I am even more excited about this summer and am anxious to see all we accomplish at the program's completion. I applied for the SEWA Get Inspired Houston 2009 Internship with two goals in mind: to gain a full understanding of the Bhutanese Refugees and their experiences but also to find some common ground with which to integrate them into the Houston community, as difficult as this may be due to their rough past experiences. I think many times we get so hung up on the cultural differences dialogue that we leave out all humane aspects of a situation. Interacting with the Bhutanese individuals, I think we will all discover the importance of distinguishing between showing sympathy and pity which I don't believe are the same. Pity automatically establishes a superior-inferior dichotomy which is the last thing these individuals wish to be engaged in.
As excited as I am about meeting the Bhutanese women, I hope that by establishing some common ground with them I am able to maintain this separation. Also, by forming friendships with the women, it is my goal to be able to provide individual portraits of them--and not conglomerate them under the label Bhutanese Refugees as I am doing so right now.
I hope everyone is as excited as I am!! I think it is going to be a great lifechanging experience for us all. :) See you all Saturday.

Hiba

Orientation day!!

So this is my first ever blog! I'm not really sure how this works I'm still trying to figure it all out but I'm excited to have one! It makes me feel very computer savvy =) Also, just a heads up I am a horrible typer so just an advanced warning for the millions of typos that will soon probably follow in my future blogs so just be prepared! Anyways, I had the orientation with all the other newbies on Saturday and I was, I have to admit, a little nervous. I wasn't sure what to expect, I was afraid I was going to be in over my head and of no use but that seemed just the opposite! Once we met into our individual groups I got to know everyone a little better and it seems we all have something unique to bring to the table to make us stronger than ever. I found that really exciting that I was in a group of people that all had such different experiences and backgrounds but we were all gathered for a common purpose. I can't wait to actually begin the internship and I really already feel a part of a team. In the orientation it was so interesting to finally meet everyone and I hope we all become very close. What I particularly enjoyed was remembering why we were all gathered there. This program is so much more than just gaining work experience or knowledge in our specific area. It is truly about helping these refugees and I am so thrilled to be a part of something so inspiring! I just want to say thanks to everyone for allowing me into this internship and I cannot wait for what lies ahead and all of the amazing things we are going to be doing for these people. Well, that's all for now!

Until next time,

Kacey Cherry