|
Children & Youth:
According to the International Organization for Migration, 60% of all Somali Bantu refugees are under the age
of 17. Service providers in the United States will largely be dealing with issues relating to children. Although many of the Somali Bantu have been in refugee
camps for 12 years, some only left Somalia a few years ago. For many children, their only recollections of Africa will be from the
refugee camps in Kenya. Although the refugee camps in Northeastern Kenya have similar demographics, languages, and problems as Somalia,
most children only know of the brutality and marginalization against the Bantu in that country through the oral history and story
telling of their parents and relatives.
By the mid 1990s, the United Nations and CARE International had set up dirt-floor schools and meager sports programs for the refugee
children in the camps, including the Bantu. Kenyan and other international managers predominantly managed the delivery of services to
the refugees. These managers sought to equitably distribute what little resources there were to all Somali groups in the refugee camps.
Additionally, "Bantu" Kenyans largely manned the police posts, political offices and government bureaucracies in the refugee operational
area. Many of the Somali Bantu children coming to the United States experienced discrimination in the refugee camps, as violence
persisted despite leaving Somalia.
For more information on Somali youth, please see the Somali Youth Report (examines Somali youth refugee
adjustment in schools and
the community, in addition to providing information on
mental trauma.) Available from the Spring Institute:
http://www.spring-institute.org/pages/main.html
Service Providers: Technical assistance for children in the following areas can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
Child Welfare and Services for Trafficked Children
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services, a joint
project of:
USCCB/Migration and Refugee Services
3211 Fourth Street; N.E.
Washington, DC 20017-1194
Phone (202) 541-3219; Fax (202) 722-8747
Lyn Morland, E-mail: lmorland@usccb.org
USCCB Web Page: www.usccb.org
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
700 Light Street
Baltimore, MD 21230-3850
Phone (410) 230-2731; Fax (410) 230-2723
LIRS Web Page: www.lirs.org/what/children/brycs.htm
Kerry McCarthy, E-mail kmccarthy@lirs.org
Comments & Questions from Service Providers and Others:
Baltimore
To: Somali Bantu Refugee Discussion List
I am the Administrative Manager of the Baltimore Resettlement Center, a consortium of organizations providing comprehensive social services to refugees. I am very excited to have this forum for exchange of questions and ideas and look forward to learning a lot from
our collective experiences. I would like to respond to the question about Bantu children in daycare. One issue that we have heard report of is that the children are biting. It should be explained that this is a natural response to frustration the child may be feeling with
communicating.
Thanks,
Emily Burtt
Administrative Manager
Baltimore Resettlement Center
3516 Eastern Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21224
410.558.3191
410.327.1941 fax
emilyb@theirc.org
|
Somali Bantu children in Kenyan refugee camps.
Somali Bantu children celebrate Lunar New Year at Marysville Elementary School Portland, Oregon 2005.
Somali Bantu children in St Louis, Missouri playing a football game, St Louis, Missouri 2005.
Somali Bantu children in St Louis, Missouri playing a football game, St Louis, Missouri 2005.
Somali Bantu youth in St Louis, Missouri going to football field, St Louis, Missouri 2005.
|
