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.