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| Refugee Transitions Volunteer Newsletter |
September 2009 |
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Greetings!
As we all know, school is back in session--this is exciting for RT students of all ages! Youth are lugging their backpacks and returning to their school day schedule (no more sleeping in!), parents are re-enrolling in community ESL classes, and RT tutors new and old are supporting the learning and growth of newcomer students throughout the Bay Area.
The new school year is an exciting time for us at the RT offices, as well--and we've been busy! Last week, we began our 2nd year of Adult ESL Classes at Good Samaritan Family Resource Center. This week, we began our 2nd year of after school tutoring at Oakland International High School. Next week marks the start of our new partnership with San Francisco International High School, and our first drop-in after school tutoring program in SF! And of course, we are still matching many new home-based tutors with youth and adults in SF, Oakland and the South Bay. We are thrilled to support so many newcomer families with their ESL, academic, and cultural adjustment needs.
Starting the school year off on the right foot is essential, as it sets the tone for the rest of the academic year. To this end, RT is offering a "Succeeding in US Schools" Training next Wednesday, September 23rd, from 6:00-8:00. At this training, we will cover the basics of on-site after school tutoring, youth development principles, study skills, how to work with youth and parents to better navigate the US school system, and how to collaborate with schools and teachers so that youth get the most out of their education in their new homes. We are requiring this training of new youth and home-based adult tutors with children, and of our after-school program tutors at SFIHS and OIHS. We also strongly encourage veteran tutors to attend this training.
We hope to see you next Wednesday, and best of luck with your tutoring in homes, libraries, community centers and schools throughout the Bay!
Lots of Gratitude,
The RT Team
Contact Us
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Highlights From Girls Camp 2009!
Our 3rd year of providing camp to refugee youth throughout the Bay Area was a success! Youth from Oakland, San Francisco and the South Bay joined RT staff and volunteers for two weekends--one for girls, one for boys--of fun in tents, at the beach, cooking yummy meals, hiking, environmental education, and making friends in the Presidio of San Francisco!
At Girls Camp, girls in RT's Bridge-2-Success Youth Development Program, and on our waitlist, wrote about why they loved their tutors, and why (if on our waitlist) they wanted tutors. Here are some highlights:
" My tutor teacher name is Rene. She is very helpful. She teach us how to speak English, new knowledge and things, and she take us to jungle [forest!], museum, and volcano mountain. Sometime we do fun for volunteer in good place, and we went hiking." -Pujan Mapchan, age 17
"I have no tutor, but I like one because when I have tutor they help me homework and help everythings. Tutor help teach English in life when I got tutor in my house. Tutor help to go to park. Tutor is those who help to do different thing and say good things in life. When my family got problems, tutor will help us and when I get tutor I feel happy in my life and future, good in my life. I wish tutor, when I got he/she in my future. I think Miss Lauren give me a tutor. God bless tutor in life and also thanks to those who will give me tutor." -Manisha Regmi, age 15
We also wanted to share with you some pictures and memories from Girls Camp 2009, and to thank our incredible volunteers for stepping up and helping out at Girls Camp. Hope Richardson, Rasika Apte, Kathy Winship, Wai Phyoe, Stephanie Galindo, Hannah Epstein, Nakachi Clark--we couldn't have done it without you! 
Getting Ready for the Scavenger Hunt!
Girls playing "Birdie on a Perch"!
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Complete This Month's Volunteer Log!
Help us track our students' progress
By filling out your monthly logs, you help keep us abreast of the fantastic work you do. WE READ EACH AND EVERY ONE. This is crucial for our grant reporting and our ability to support volunteers. Submit your log on our website:
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Burmese Dictionary--Online!
If you work with Burmese speaking students, check out this great online resource with Burmese fonts, Burmese phrases, and an online dictionary!
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RT Student Jean Claude Musore, Congolese Activist, in the Oakland Tribune
On fifth anniversary, Congolese family shares story of surviving massacre
by Matt O'Brien
Dorcas Nasunika still shudders at the thought of what happened in Gatumba.
She remembers the music. Late at night on Aug. 13, 2004, residents of her refugee camp in western Burundi heard a large group of people entering the village singing pleasant songs and beating drums.
The intruders also carried machetes and automatic weapons. In a two-hour slaughter, they killed more than 150 camp residents, most of them women and children.
Nasunika survived alongside her youngest daughter, Chantal Namatungo, by dropping to the ground as the bodies fell around them. They were quiet until the attackers withdrew.
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the massacre in Gatumba. Nasunika and her family walked to the Burundian village two months earlier thinking it would be a refuge from the violence they fled in their native country, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
But the attacks targeting their ethnic community of Banyamulenge Tutsis followed them after they fled across the border. Only in spring 2007, when they moved to California, did they begin to feel safe.
"I want to inform the whole world about the genocide in Congo and Burundi," said Jean-Claude Musore, Nasunika's 21-year-old son.
Musore persuaded his reluctant mother and two sisters to begin sharing their story this month in hopes of shedding light on the genocidal violence that has caused more than 600 Banyamulenge Tutsis to resettle in the United States in recent years.
To visit Jean Claude's Website, "Banyamulenge Survivors,"
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RT Introduces the Refugee Transitions YouTube Channel
 
Refugee Transitions has a new YouTube Channel! Check out our videos and don't forget to subscribe. This is a great way to notify your friends and family about the volunteer work that you do, and inspire others to get involved. You can locate our channel here.
 
If you are interested in making a video about your own experience as an RT Volunteer, please let us know! Contact julia@reftrans.org if you have an idea or would like to tell your story.
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VESL Class at Chinese Newcomers Service Center!
Chinese Newcomers Service Center is enrolling students who want to improve their English solidly for its September vocational English Class!
The enrollees are expected to have English proficiency at least level 2 and up.
Class Schedule:
During 9/14/09 and 10/9/09, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon between 1:30pm and 4:30pm (totally 12 sections)
Address: 777 Stockton Street, Rm 107, San Francisco
Registration Information:
All potential participants need come to 777 Stockton Street, Rm 104, Chinese Newcomers Service Center to do the registration. Registration through phone calls will not be appreciated. Please prepare $20 as deposit. It will be returned to the participant on the last day of the class if he/she doesn't miss more than two sections during the whole class time.
Questions? Please call Ms. Zhong at 415-421-2111 ext. 699.
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Useful Resources for Your Work as an RT Tutor
Materials for Pre-literate Adult Students
"Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students"
This book reviews
some effective practices for teaching preliterate adult
refugees. It includes information on how to teach speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.
Each of the sections provides examples and
descriptions of useful approaches, techniques, and activities.
There is a checklist of language competencies that learners who are
new to the language need to know, a section on teaching multi-level
groups, and information on resources that teachers and service
providers can use. View the whole book here. Summer Resource 2009 Guide
This Resource Guide lists the contact information for various agencies in the Bay Area that promote job development, healthy living, summer fun, and community resources. Please click here.
San Francisco International High
School Opening in August 2009
USCIS Citizenship Test Questions
Have Been Updated
During the U.S. Citizenship Exam, students are asked 10 questions, which are randomly selected from this list of 100 questions. Use the new USCIS flashcards to quiz your clients studying for the exam. To learn about whether your student may be eligible to take this test, please call us at 415-989-2151.
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SF International High School in the SF Chronicle!
New S.F. high school nurtures immigrant youth
by Jill Tucker
The 50 high school students heading to their next class looked like typical teenagers, hauling backpacks, cradling books and laughing. Yet they were far from it.
All recent immigrants, one was an orphan by age 6. Another cared for his sick mother and had rarely gone to school. Several had left home as children, often alone - traveling on buses, trains, cars or by foot to get to a U.S. border.
A few have lived on the street. One is the child of a Hong Kong businessman.
Some can read and write, but not in English. A few can't write the alphabet, even in their native language.
Many arrived in the United States just months or weeks earlier.
Medhanie, 15, came from Eritrea two years ago with little to no schooling. While his English is nearly fluent, thanks to time in front of his American television, his English literacy levels don't reach first grade.
He wants to be a doctor.
Principal Sonia Geerdes knew every student's name as they passed her in the hall, and she knew every one of their life stories. She also predicted their futures.
Within four to six years, she believes, the students - the first class of the city's new San Francisco International High School - will earn high school diplomas. After that, she's confident most will go off to college.
"Their immigration journeys are incredible," Geerdes said. "But their dreams have not been crushed. Our job is to make it a possibility. We're not shutting off their dreams."
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After School Tutors Needed in Oakland and San Francisco!
Refugee Transitions is partnering with Oakland International High School and the newly-opened San Francisco International High School to provide after-school tutoring services to their refugee and immigrant student bodies.
Want to Help?
Know someone who does?
We need tutors:
In Oakland:
4521 Webster St.
(near Macarthur BART)
Mon, Tues & Thurs: 3:15-4:45
Wed: 1:30-4:30
In San Francisco:
18th & Dolores
(near 16th St. BART)
Tues & Thurs 3:15-4:45
Wed: 1:30-4:30
Email Lauren if you are interested!
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From the National Radio Project
Neither Here Nor There: Bhutanese Refugees in the U.S.
Facing a world map, most Americans would not be able to point to the Himalayan country of Bhutan. But thousands of Nepali-speaking refugees from this Buddhist-majority nation are arriving on North American soil, and soon will be part of the rich cultural fabric of U.S. society.
On this edition, correspondent Adelaide Chen brings us sounds from the journey of these new arrivals. From saying goodbye to the refugee camps, to settling into Oakland, California, their story of starting a new life is full of hard times, especially in this economy. Featuring: Ananta Gurung, Bhutanese American Community Center director; Don Climent, International Rescue Committee director; Tul Bahadur Tiwari, father and Bhutanese refugee; Gopal, Tiwari's brother; Rianawati Rianawati, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Damak Office director; and more!
Click here for Multimedia Link
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Help RT Expand Its Capacity: What Special Skills Do YOU Have?
We know that many of you have areas of expertise in your professional or personal lives, and we would love to put those skills to use!
Help RT expand its capacity by volunteering to help with specific skills-based projects on an as-needed basis. If a project comes up that looks like a good fit, we'll let you know to see if you'd like to be involved. No strings attached. We just want to tap into one of our organization's greatest resources: YOU!
What are the skills you would gladly share with us if we gave you the opportunity to do so?
Our current needs...
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Technology (website development, database/CRM, social media)
- Languages spoken
- Fundraising
Please contact Julia at julia@reftrans.org if you have skills you would like to share with Refugee Transitions. |
Become Friends with RT on Facebook!
Join Refugee Transitions' online facebook community.
Become our friend and get access to RT news, photos, YouTube videos, and more!
To add us as a friend, click here. | |
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Know someone who wants to Volunteer?
 If you know someone who wants to volunteer with Refugee Transitions, we are always looking for more help in the East Bay, San Francisco and the South Bay!
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Thank you, again, for all that you do to serve the immigrant and refugee populations of the Bay Area. You are the heart and soul of what we do!
Sincerely,
Lauren, Laura, Tenley, ZarNi, Grace, Elsa, Nandi, Julia, Nakachi and Christina
(The Refugee Transitions Team) |
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