Welcome to the Overseas CO Program Highlight archive, where you will find information on different CO programs overseas, in terms of caseload characteristics, environment in exile, information on CO classes, and considerations for domestic service providers.
Click on the selected group below, which will take you to the appropriate place in this document.
Groups in West Africa
Highlighted Lesson Plans: Adjustment and U.S. Laws
Slideshow
(click for a two-page PDF version of this document)
Overview
The Overseas Processing Entity in West Africa (OPE Accra), administered by Church World Service, has been providing Cultural Orientation instruction to U.S.-bound refugees since February 2002. In total, OPE Accra has delivered CO trainings for over 13,000 students. While the bulk of OPE applicants have historically been refugees from Liberia and Sierra Leone, smaller caseloads of Sudanese, Rwandans, Burundians, Somali, Mauritanian, and Congolese have consistently been represented. From October 2007 to March 2008, CO sessions were held in five countries (Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Togo, and Ivory Coast) for 713 individuals of twelve nationalities (Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mauritania, Chad, Ivory Coast, Togo, Rwanda, Nigeria, DRC, Sudan, Gambia, and Burundi).
Refugee Caseloads: Languages
While many Liberians, Sierra Leoneans, and Nigerians speak some form of English, they also speak other indigenous languages, such as Mandingo, Krahn, and Yoruba. Refugees from other West African countries often speak French along with their indigenous languages, while those from Mauritania, Sudan, Somalia, or elsewhere may speak Arabic. OPE Accra has trainers capable of delivering CO entirely in English or French, while local, trained interpreters are used as needed for Arabic and various indigenous languages.
Refugee Caseloads: Education/Social Experience
CO students represent a wide range of educational and social experiences. Some have never had any formal education, while a number have completed junior or secondary school. There are growing numbers of educated individuals from Central Africa who have university degrees but limited English proficiency. Single parent households, including single mothers with young children, are common, as are unmarried young adults. Refugees in Ghana have had a fairly modern, urbanized experience. Many refugees in the West Africa region reside in out-lying camps, however.
Training Sites
Training sites vary with the refugee populations being served. Initially, CO classes were held primarily in Ghana (at the OPE Annex), Ivory Coast, and Guinea. Progressively, CO Trainers started seeing students in other West Africa locations such as Gambia, Senegal, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Mali. In recent years, the West Africa program has expanded into the Central African countries of Cameroon, Gabon, and The Central African Republic. As instruction in the capital city is not always feasible, CO trainers often work at or near the camps. Some examples include camps in Ghana (The Krisan Refugee Camp), Guinea (N’zerekore), Gabon (Tchibanga, Franceville, and Moanda), and Sierra Leone (Bo and Kenema).
Curriculum and Course Particulars
CO training consists of a 3-day, 18-hour course; the average class size is 20. Most classes are conducted in English. Classes may be taught in French when all students share the same level of understanding. Course content is based on the Welcome to the U.S. guide and video, as well as the West Africa CO Exercise Workbook, developed by OPE Accra’s CO department. Course content is regularly reviewed and revised to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information possible. Training methodology is varied, but there is heavy emphasis on experiential group activities and discussion. Posters are produced by the CO team, and PowerPoint presentations were recently created to coincide with the curriculum.
As the program’s caseload shifts towards the inclusion of more Francophone/Arabic-speaking participants, the CO team is adjusting its curriculum to meet participant needs. Activities, lessons, posters, and pamphlets are being translated into French where applicable and/or practical, while program staff continue to continuously develop other lesson plans, activities, and curriculum ideas for non-English proficient individuals. In addition, the West Africa CO Exercise Workbook for students has been modified so that activities may be carried out interactively if students are illiterate or non-English speaking.
A “Parenting” unit was introduced into the curriculum after the program’s experience with the “Women at Risk” caseload in the Ivory Coast (2002), and in response to queries on the CAL Listserv about the parenting practices of some West African refugees in the U.S. The Cultural Adjustment, U.S. Law, and Housing, Safety, and Sanitation units have most recently been updated. OPE Accra is currently developing a new unit for Technology in America.
The West Africa program targets approved refugees age 15 and over. With a noticeable rise in the number of children in qualifying refugee families (some of these having been raised in exile and in camps), a Youth Curriculum was developed by CO West Africa to address youth-specific resettlement challenges. Refugees aged 15-17 participate in their own three-day program, where they are free to ask questions and participate in a group of their peers. For many refugee youth, these specialized CO Youth classes present the first opportunity to experience what an “American” classroom will be like. The Youth curriculum is very interactive, and students are noticeably more at ease discussing subjects with peers who share the same experiences and anticipate similar social challenges than previous participants grouped in the adult classes. The Youth curriculum, which stresses Education, Social Topics, Special Interests, and Family Changes, was finalized in 2007 and has been implemented in Accra (Ghana), Conakry (Guinea), and Abidjan (Ivory Coast).
Student Characteristics and Considerations for Domestic Resettlement
CO West Africa delivers instruction in over ten countries for individuals of more than fifteen nationalities. As such, generalizing the populations is problematic. However, one may assume that much of the refugee’s life has been spent in transit and/or residing in refugee camps, that they tend to have a basic grasp of the English language, and that they have an optimistic image of what lies ahead in the United States.
The Liberian and Sierra Leonian populations are primarily urban refugees who, while they speak various levels of English, need be encouraged to attend ESOL courses and improve upon written skills. They often have close ties with the U.S. through friends or family members and have developed a perception of the United States based on videos and word of mouth. Employment needs to be encouraged from the outset. As they generally have a strong work ethic and desire to continue their education, it may be necessary to remind them that becoming self-sufficient is paramount and then educational advancement is an opportunity. Women in this region are typically much more willing to work and should be empowered from the beginning. Sending money home is actively discussed in CO trainings, and the trainers reiterate that students need to pay all bills, make their monthly travel loan payment, and develop a small amount of savings before sending money home. Lastly, time and time-management are of constant concern. It is made exceptionally clear that America does not run on “African Time,” yet it is the recommendation of OPE Accra that this be of ongoing emphasis stateside.
The mixed Francophone groups seemingly present a more complicated problem in that they are generally well educated and may hold various certifications and/or degrees. Yet these credentials are not necessarily valid in the United States and, more often than not, the refugees are not fluent in English. Finding acceptable employment and learning English are two fears commonly expressed by members of this group.
If you would like to share your agency’s experience of resettling clients that received CO from CWS/OPE Accra's CO program, please click here.
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Groups in East and Sub-Saharan Africa
(Slideshow)
(click for a three-page PDF version of this document)
Background
Church World Service/Overseas Processing Entity Nairobi, Kenya (CWS/OPE) provides Cultural Orientation (CO) to U.S.-bound refugees aged 15 years and above throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Classes are held for urban refugees at the CWS/OPE Nairobi offices, and other trainings are held in various refugee camps and cities throughout the region. The caseload is extremely diverse by nationality, ethnicity, language, education, and living conditions. Training is conducted in refugees’ mother tongues (Kiswahili and Somali) where possible, while interpreters are contracted for languages such as French, Oromo, Amharic, Tigrinya, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, and various Sudanese dialects. In FY2008, CWS/OPE CO staff will travel to Dadaab and Kakuma, Kenya; Kibondo, Tanzania; Kigali, Rwanda; Lusaka, Zambia; Harare, Zimbabwe; Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia; Khartoum, Sudan; and Kampala, Uganda.
Classes and Materials
CO consists of three 6-hour training days, covering a 15-topic curriculum with substantial emphasis on the role of the resettlement agency, cultural transition, and employment. Methods and materials used depend on the characteristics of the refugee groups, but information is generally disseminated through videos and participatory activities like role plays, group discussions, debates, question and answer sessions, and dramatization.
The classroom walls at the Nairobi office have posters and pictures that illustrate key aspects of the CO curriculum for the urban refugees. The majority of the camp-based refugees have never had a formal job or formal housing arrangements, and the temporary shelters in refugee camps are the only housing environments they have experienced for many years. Topics such as housing, hygiene, and employment are therefore emphasized for these populations, who have very little exposure to the basic aspects of U.S. living. Realia are particularly helpful for these trainings, as seen in the response to the model kitchen and bathroom used at the training site in Kakuma Refugee Camp.
The Center for Applied Linguistics’ Welcome to the United States video and guidebook (in the English, French, Arabic, and Somali versions) are useful tools that supplement classroom discussion on various subjects. In addition, the CWS/OPE CO Student Workbook serves both as a summary of important CO messages and as a notebook allowing students to take notes during training and for use after resettlement. Other important teaching aides include U.S. driver’s licenses, I-94 cards, medical cards, debit cards, Social Security cards, lease agreements, and job application forms, all of which are displayed during sessions.
Featured Caseloads by Location
(1) Nairobi, Kenya: Classes are held at the CWS/OPE CO office in Nairobi, which has six classrooms with the capacity to train more than 100 individuals simultaneously. Classes typically consist of 18 – 24 participants (generally Somalis), depending on family size and processing urgency. During the current fiscal year, CWS/OPE has conducted CO classes for approximately 550 individuals to date.
Living Conditions
Approximately 100,000 refugees live in Nairobi. A large percentage of these refugees live in the Eastleigh area of Nairobi. The government encampment policy requires refugees to stay in remote camps resulting in many urban refugees not being officially recognized. Most Nairobi-based refugees live in apartments that have electricity, plumbing, and, occasionally, modern appliances. Many own shops and small business enterprises. Remittances from relatives in the United States have made a substantial contribution to their livelihoods. As in many parts of the world, there is a negative perception of the refugees by the host community due to stereotypes.
Characteristics During CO and Considerations for Domestic Resettlement
Many Nairobi-based refugees have family in the United States; they typically have a greater awareness of the resettlement process and are better acquainted with CO subjects such as U.S. culture, law, politics, employment, and the resettlement process than other refugee groups. In comparison to camp-based refugees, there is a greater balance with regard to participation from both men and women. Classroom discussion involves active debate as well as question and answer sessions. Common fears regarding resettlement include concerns about cold weather, terrorism, anti-Muslim sentiment, religious and cultural intolerance, and language barriers.
Most of the urban youth regularly attend school organized by community groups and are very eager to continue their education once they arrive in the United States. Most have access to community health clinics at subsidized costs. Most adults would like to apply their skills as small business owners toward similar opportunities in the United States.
(2) Tanzania
In Tanzania, CO classes are held in Kibondo for all refugees, mainly located at the three camps of Ngara, Kasulu, and Kanembwa. Currently, the group receiving cultural orientation is the “1972 Burundians.” Cultural orientation classes typically consist of between 18 and 30 individuals. In the current fiscal year, CWS/OPE Nairobi has conducted cultural orientation for approximately 940 individuals to date.
Living Conditions and General Characteristics
The 1972 Burundians are subsistence farmers who have been living in the refugee camps in Western Tanzania for decades. Living conditions in the camps are harsh, and malnutrition and disease are common. Electricity is not available in the places where the refugees live, although water is circulated at several points in the camps. Many of the refugees in these camps lease small plots of land from the locals, which they farm and share the harvest with plot owners. Most of these individuals have limited exposure to urban living and they are mainly dependent on assistance from humanitarian organizations.
The 1972 Burundians have large families with many young children. They all speak Kirundi but a few understand and speak French and Kiswahili. There are schools for refugee children in the refugee camps, where a Burundian curriculum is taught.
Characteristics During CO and Considerations for Domestic Resettlement
For this group, a more basic introduction of CO is necessary due to their low education levels and limited exposure to urban/modern living. The students are unfamiliar with the basic aspects of life in the United States such as housing, education, and employment, but are especially eager to learn what it takes to succeed. Common fears regarding resettlement include concerns about: employment, care for the elderly, school for the children and adults, assistance duration, language barriers, types of housing, and discrimination. Please note: A direct correlation between instances of alcohol abuse and gender-based violence has been observed.
(3) Dadaab, Kenya:
There is a population of over 150,000 refugees (predominantly Somali, but with some Ethiopians and Sudanese refugees as well) living at three camps on the outskirts of Dadaab. These camps—Hagedera, Ifo, and Dagahaley—comprise what is known as “Dadaab Refugee Camp.” The house structures are made of mud and sticks, and temperatures are regularly above 100 F. There is a large presence of humanitarian aid agencies that provide water, health care, and community services. Most of the youth attend school up to age 15.
Characteristics During CO and Considerations for Resettlement
The students are mostly unfamiliar with basic aspects of life in the United States. Gender differences are evident in CO classes: Men typically participate more than the women. Trainers often need to encourage the women to actively participate in class. Common fears regarding resettlement include concerns about religious freedom in the United States, weather, family reunification, and travel overseas. Refugees appear eager to travel back to Dadaab Refugee Camp after resettlement.
If you would like to share your agency’s experience of resettling clients that received CO from CWS/OPE Nairobi's CO program, please click here.
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International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) Turkey and International Organization for Migration (IOM) Middle East are two organizations providing Cultural Orientation to incoming Iraqi refugees. This profile of both organizations’ Iraqi programs includes sections on caseload, CO classes, general environment for CO attendees, and considerations for domestic resettlement agencies.
ICMC TURKEY
In FY2007, ICMC Turkey provided CO in Turkey for an Iraqi caseload of 396 cases of 830 individuals, of whom 719 are adults and 111 are minors who received youth-specific orientation. ICMC Turkey continues to provide CO to Iraqi refugees in FY2008. ICMC Turkey also provides CO to non-Iraqi refugees in Turkey as well as to refugees in a number of other countries; for more information, see a description of ICMC Turkey’s non-Iraqi caseload and regional activities.
Iraqi Caseload
ICMC Turkey’s current Iraqi caseload is composed primarily of members of the Chaldean and Assyrian minority groups (we have recently started processing some other cases, both Shi'a and Sunni, but do not have a broad base of information on these groups yet. They appear to be much more highly educated than the Chaldean and Assyrian minorities, however). We generally see large families with many children, often intergenerational family compositions including members from birth to their 80s as people travel with elderly relatives. Singles are usually related to other cases.
The families are not usually highly educated, although there is a small group that worked as translators or in other functions with the multinational forces or international entities in Iraq. This group already speaks English and may have higher levels of education. If the families have resided in Turkey for some duration, the women will usually have work experience. The newly arrived refugees are more resistant to the idea of the women becoming employed, so we place a greater emphasis on employment and money management issues for those refugees. The Iraqi children that we have seen thus far from this community have resided for a long time in Turkey, so they generally speak Turkish as well as or better than their mother tongue.
CO Classes
ICMC Turkey provides three-day, 21-hour, CO courses for Iraqi refugees in Turkey. CO classes are open to those who are of age 14 and above, and when possible, ICMC provides Children’s and Youth CO to younger Iraqi refugees as well.
ICMC Turkey tries to limit class size to 20 people. In Istanbul, we train on-site in our three classrooms, with an additional room for the Children's and Youth CO, as well as a room for nursing mothers and small children. There are small kitchenettes so that tea and coffee breaks can be provided for the students. Classrooms have chairs and small tables that four to five people can use for group work. A whiteboard and a projector with screen are provided in each classroom and rooms are air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter. In Kayseri, a small city in central Turkey, we provide training in a language school, but so far, this training facility has only been used for the Iranian refugee population. All Iraqis come to Istanbul. (Refugees in Turkey are spread throughout 26 different satellite towns and some must travel up to 20 hours to arrive in Istanbul).
Usually we have an intensive adult-centered three-day experiential learning model accompanied by a visually projected curriculum as well as realia. Refugees are encouraged to work in groups to solve problems, and they complete group activities related to the upcoming challenges they will face when they arrive to the United States. The team takes a lot of time to identify and then address the fears and expectations of each class, with the aim that by day three, the refugees will have a more realistic perspective on the upcoming transition and what will be required from them in order for them to be successful. Overall, the main emphasis is realistic expectations and self-sufficiency, related to all themes, including employment, housing, health system and costs, education requirements, access and opportunities, legal rights and responsibilities, cultural integration.
All activities serve to highlight the need for people to take personal initiative to address upcoming challenges and help to identify the skills they already possess that are going to aid them in their adjustment. Trainers modify materials and methods as appropriate given classroom composition. For example, with a group of singles, the early childhood education and parenting sections are omitted as they will not be relevant.
We also provide Children and Youth CO both in Istanbul and in Kayseri, as well as in external training sites. This was developed over the years to mirror the adult curriculum but to target those topics that were most relevant to the younger children or preteens, giving them a safe place to ask questions and discuss issues that would be overlooked in an adult classroom. In addition, we have a room for nursing the youngest children and for them to nap or play. We provide videos and simple toys, and we have someone who is able to speak the children's language available to take care of the children during class time.
* While courses are ordinarily 21 hours, ICMC did develop and deliver an abbreviated ten-hour program in response to the time constraints involved with processing and moving a substantially- increased Iraqi caseload during the 3rd and 4th quarters of FY2007.
General Environment for CO Attendees
According to UNHCR, as of July 31, 2007, approximately 41 percent of the Iraqi asylum seekers and refugees in Turkey resided in Istanbul, while the rest lived in medium-sized provincial or “satellite” cities. The Iraqi Chaldean and Assyrian communities have tended to gravitate towards Istanbul. However, now all refugees seeking resettlement must report to one of 26 satellite cities that the Turkish authorities assign to them and must register with the local authorities in order to be permitted to be resettled out of Turkey. In principle, refugees can only leave their assigned cities with permission from the police. Due to inability to find work in the satellite cities however, some refugees do leave to work in the informal economy of Istanbul.
Considerations for Domestic Resettlement Agencies
Most of the Iraqi refugees provided CO by ICMC Turkey have had little exposure to modern Western life and amenities, and their English language skills vary greatly. However, Iraqis are optimistic and willing to learn about the United States, including the language, work values and educational opportunities—especially for their children.
Iraqi refugees are generally in good physical health, yet caseworkers have observed that the group of Iraqis with whom ICMC Turkey is currently working, especially recent arrivals to Turkey, are suffering from high levels of trauma and other psychological disorders. Caseworkers should also be alert to any signs of domestic abuse.
There are no areas of conflict between groups that the resettlement workers should be aware of and a caseworker of a particular ethnic background would not pose a problem for these Iraqis. However, if a caseworker or interpreter’s mother tongue is not Arabic, they may face difficulties in understanding the Iraqi-Arabic accent: the dialect is a little different and not very easy to understand for all. Children may be able to communicate better in Turkish if they have been in Turkey for a length of time.
If you would like to share your agency’s experience of resettling Iraqis processed through Turkey with ICMC Turkey’s CO program, please click here.
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IOM Middle East
The International Organization for Migration’s Middle East program is providing CO to Iraqi refugees being processed through Amman, Jordan; Damascus, Syria; and Cairo, Egypt. Of the 1,076 refugees served by the program in CY2007, 604 were Iraqis: 574 in Amman, 114 in Damascus, and 16 in Cairo. All programs served small numbers of Somali and Sudanese refugees as well. The overall caseload was 55% female.
Caseload
Classes have contained a high percentage of Christian refugees as well as Muslims. There are numerous bilingual participants in each class, although fewer in Syria than in Jordan. Many of the refugees provided CO in Jordan have a high level of education. In addition, many refugees in Jordan have some savings.
CO Classes
CO classes are held at IOM Amman and IOM Damascus for a maximum of 25 participants. Courses are three days in length, five hours per day, and lunch is provided. In Damascus childcare is on-site, while in Amman, arrangements are made for single parents with no childcare options to attend a one-on-one or small group session.
The Middle East curriculum was adapted from other IOM CO programs and developed around the topics of Pre-Arrival Processing, Role of the Resettlement Agency, Employment, Education, Housing, Money Management, Transportation, Health Care, Rights & Responsibilities, U.S. Laws, and Cultural Adjustment. Teaching methodology includes group work, real life case studies, and role plays.
During CO class, particular emphasis is given on early employment as a means to both self-sufficiency and community integration. Having received numerous questions on the issue, we stress that professional doctors, lawyers and teachers will not be able to practice their current professions since their licenses will not be recognized in the U.S. We do inform them that, with guidance, they can research what they need to do in order to become re-certified. We also discourage refugees from attempting to live off savings instead of seeking early employment.
During class, we often receive questions regarding family reunification with relatives still residing in Iraq. In addition, in each class, there are some refugees who express a wish to return to the Middle East to visit family within one year. We strongly encourage them to consult with immigration staff on travel document issues and do not encourage travel before adjusting status.
Other questions often heard in class include: “How will we pay for everything?,” “How will we be treated as Muslims? What about as Arabs and specifically Iraqis?,” and “Will we find halal food?” In addition, the Selective Service is an area of great concern in each class and refugees are very anxious that it means that they will have to serve in the military.
General Environment for CO Attendees
The Iraqi refugees receiving CO in Jordan and Syria live in rented apartments rather than in refugee camps. Rentals in Amman include modern amenities, so the refugees have access to televisions and even satellite television reception, resulting in their expectation that these items and services will be available and provided in the U.S. as well. We do emphasize that these are not standard items in U.S. rental homes, however, and that they will not be provided upon their resettlement.
In Jordan, one particular stressor involves overstaying residency permits, which results in a 1.5 JD fine per day (U.S. $2 per day). This fine is covered by UNHCR upon departure. Other stressors include working illegally and being taken to a border camp if caught. There are reports of employers taking advantage of Iraqi refugees in Jordan and not paying them for months of work.
Even though Jordan has a reputation for being a very generous host community, the strains on the country from the Iraqi refugees is a topic of interest for many Jordanians. Many in the general public blame the refugees for the dramatic increases in property values in Amman.
Considerations for Domestic Resettlement Agencies
Many refugees report that they have heard that Iraqi refugees are struggling in the U.S., and there have been a number of cases that have withdrawn their applications for resettlement or not shown up for their flights. Anxiety around resettlement is very high for many (but not all) of the refugees. The refugees that were more affluent are usually more hesitant to depart.
As with other refugee groups, many Iraqi refugees may be suffering from post-traumatic stress, as a consequence of being victims of or witness to violence and having suffered the loss or disappearance of loved ones.
If you would like to share your agency’s experience of resettling Iraqis processed through Jordan, Syria, or Egypt with IOM Middle East’s CO program, please click here.
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Refugees from Burma in
Thailand and Malaysia
(click here for this document in PDF)
Thailand
(General slideshow; "Information Campaign" slideshow)
Population and Environment
CO activities are currently centered upon Mae La camp (population almost 50,000), some 50 minutes north of the town of Mae Sot. The camp is about 70% Karen, 25% “Burmese Muslim (for more information on this group, read Annex 1),” and small numbers of other ethnicities. The option of applying for resettlement to the US was offered to the entire population of Mae La. To date, some one-third of the population has taken up the offer. Smaller numbers of refugees reside in Umpiem and Nupo camps, to whom resettlement was also offered; the populations there are roughly similar in composition to that of Mae La. (For more information regarding the camps, please see Annex 2.
Activities: CO Classes
CO classes in Mae La are three to five days in length, covering the attitudes, knowledge, and skills refugees will need to make their resettlement experience in the U.S. as successful as possible. Class size is ordinarily about 25 for adults, and 20 to 25 for children and youth, although classes become larger and shorter, perhaps only one or two days, if we receive the list of departures only a few days before they travel, as can happen when the number of departures increases dramatically toward the end of the fiscal year.
Although refugees learn about the kinds of assistance they can expect to receive from resettlement agencies and government services, CO classes also emphasize the importance of self-sufficiency and the need to find a job as quickly as possible. Recent additions to our curriculum include ‘family day,’ when parents and children are brought together to discuss the changes they will experience in family roles, methods of child discipline, and maintaining the valuable aspects of their own culture. Simultaneous with this session single students have their own group discussions on dating in the US and other facets of living as a single person in a new country.
The Karen, in particular, can be rather shy and reticent to voice legitimate requests for assistance or complaints, so CO classes also focus on the need to be pro-active, and to take responsibility for obtaining help and achieving one’s own success in the United States.
Activities: Daycare and Parenting
An experienced child care worker on IOM staff developed a daily program of activities for the young children in the CO day-care center. A total of ten refugee daycare workers were hired and received an initial two-day training course in the care of the children, safety issues, and conducting activities (with further daily training and supervision for the first month). Activities included in the daycare program include music, singing, chanting and dance, drawing, arts and crafts, English lessons, and storytelling, as well as basic care of the children’s physical needs.
Two child care rooms are used; one for tiny babies and one for children up to age ten. Daily attendance varies considerably, from a low of eight to a high of 66. The rooms are too small for the larger groups, but the space allotted to IOM is extremely limited and there are no options to expand.
A parenting program targeting the parents of the children in the daycare center was developed for implementation at the start of July. The one-day course focuses on hygiene (30-45 min), nutrition (1 ½ hrs), disciplining children and teenagers (1 ½ hrs), and other topics such as maintenance and cleanliness of the home, and topics related to schooling and parents.
Activities: The Information Campaign
IOM is currently conducting a multi-faceted information campaign to provide refugees with accurate information about the U.S. refugee resettlement program.
Newsletters, addressing resettlement issues, camp rumors, and misinformation about resettlement, cover explanations of the OPE and DHS interviewing process; the IOM medical screening process; facts about travel loan repayment; jobs for refugees in the U.S.; transportation; education; and many other aspects of resettlement life in America. Many bits of misinformation circulating in the camps are addressed in the newsletters as well, such as the rumor that all refugee males must join the U.S. army, or that Asians and Muslims face heavy discrimination in America.
Meetings in the various camp sections and with leadership groups such as the influential KWO (Karen Women’s Organization) and KYO (Karen Youth Organization) continue to be an important part of the campaign. IOM staff organizes Q&A sessions in various camp sections, addressing questions on topics from the OPE interview and medical check processes to the education, employment, and health care systems in the U.S., and exactly how much support would be provided by the government, and for how long. In addition, IOM continues its ‘tea-shop diplomacy’ and house-to-house visitation strategies, to learn of the latest rumors and general camp attitudes toward the resettlement program.
Picture boards, showing general images of life in America, and in particular, refugee life in America, serve as “24-hour cultural orientation information centers,” and always have crowds of refugees keen to get a visual notion of what life in America may be like for them. Pictorial topics are arranged on three-and-a-half foot feature boards, and topics have included American food, famous locations in the U.S., American holidays, refugee jobs, refugee housing, pictures of departing refugees, American leisure activities and sports, transportation, letters from resettled refugees, resettlement agency services, and more.
Theater: Four shows, staged between the end of June and October 2007, were performed by a team of refugee actors from Mae La camp. The shows followed one refugee family’s decisionmaking process of whether to resettle in America or not, and then their adventures in traveling to the US and trying to adapt to life there. The shows were performed in the large Mae La camp, and permission was obtained from the Thai authorities to allow the actors to travel to Nupo and Umpiem camps, as well, making this effort our first “road show.” Interest in all the camps was very high, with usually one to two thousand people in the audience for each performance. The shows have been filmed and put onto VCD, for later distribution in the camps.
Malaysia
(Slideshow)
Population and Environment
Participants in Malaysia are mostly ethnic Chin from Burma, living in an extremely-urbanized and hostile environment and trying to avoid the notice of the Malaysian government and populace. Midnight raids by government-sanctioned vigilante groups on refugee squatter communities are common, and on the day after a raid (or even the rumor of a raid) students arrive in class tired, haggard, and distracted from stress and lack of sleep. Sometimes, trainers learn that a student who is absent has been arrested. In this case, the trainer informs the CO administrative assistant, who forwards the message to OPE and UNHCR, who then take the necessary actions to get the person released.
Activities: CO Classes
With the waiver for material support for Chin refugees in Malaysia now in effect, refugee movements and CO sessions (provided for adults, pre-teens, and teens) have picked up considerably over past months, and it is anticipated that the number of refugees accepted for resettlement next year will further increase. There is a possibility that session length will increase from three to five days, but this needs further consideration, since refugees in Malaysia receive little or no UNHCR assistance and have to work to support themselves. Attendance at a CO class means they miss three days’ pay; something few can afford. We have heard of instances where refugees have actually lost their jobs due to the fact that they were attending a CO class rather than being at work.
Contacting refugees for classes is sometimes difficult. If need be, assistance is sought from the grassroots Chin organizations who list the people scheduled for sessions in their community newspaper and otherwise get the word out into the community.
Trainers report that, as a result of their lives in Burma and the harassment they receive in Malaysia, the Chin refugees are likely to have an abiding fear and distrust of the police and a deep reluctance to call on the police even when needed; to accept bribery as a way to get out of difficulties, especially with authorities; and to resign themselves to be cheated by employers, not complaining when they are cheated as they have no recourse to justice.
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The "1972 Burundians" in Kibondo, Tanzania
Background and Curriculum
The CO program for “1972 Burundians” started on May 2, 2007 in Kibondo, Tanzania, where the Processing Center has specially designed CO classrooms and offices for the caseload. IOM Kibondo consulted closely with IOM Nairobi to adapt curricula for the 1972 Burundians and found Nairobi’s Somali Bantu curriculum particularly useful, given the common themes of limited exposure to Western amenities and protracted amount of time spent in camps.
Two of the CO staff have extensive experience working with the 1972 Burundians in camps and were valuable in developing curricula, especially around cultural values, parenting, and gender roles. Special emphasis has been placed in CO classes on gender-based violence as this is a prevalent issue in the camps, and staff has consulted with local partners working in the camps to identify additional special areas of concern. As circumstances permit, CO graduates have been invited to return for an afternoon film and Q&A session on topics such as gender-based violence, parenting, and the environment, to complement and emphasize the information shared in CO.
Feedback from the U.S.
CO staff has had numerous emails from domestic staff in the U.S. offering feedback and tips for CO staff. One agency wrote that this is the “nicest group I have worked with in all my years of resettlement.” Feedback is that they have been well prepared for early self-sufficiency and are highly motivated to work and learn English. This insight has been very valuable as the curriculum continues to be developed and modified. Early feedback also suggested emphasis on personal hygiene; therefore washing soap is now distributed prior to departure, while at the Nairobi Transit Center, staff distributes additional soap, deodorant, and clothing. Staff members have also received emails from the refugees themselves written with the assistance of resettlement caseworkers or volunteers.
See a slideshow regarding CO for the "1972 Burundians"
(Photos and captions courtesy of CO secondee Shana Wills of Heartland Alliance, Chicago, and Ann Strandoo of IOM Kibondo)
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