|
|
The place for education, information and coordination for agencies serving New Americans |
|
|
|
| Volume I, Issue 2 |
June 2009 |
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
We got good feeback on our first issue of The Refuge. We 're glad you found it helpful and we strive to continue to make it a valuable resource for news and information about all the programs and services devoted to refugee resettlement and immigration issues in Fort Wayne/Allen County. Please continue to email your news items, story ideas, or suggestions to john.silcox@co.allen.in.us We'll do our best to make this publication as timely and relvant as possible. And please forward this email on to others who would be interested in receving this e-newsletter.
To your health!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gardening project takes root
Something new is sprouting at the Fort Wayne Community Resource Center for Refugees on South Calhoun Street. A pilot project has taken off since its inception on May 22 and is helping Burmese refugees both now and in the future: the Community Garden project. Operated by the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation and the Burmese Advocacy Center, the community garden allows Burmese refugees, many of whom were farmers in their native country, to learn to grow food when dealing with the more difficult American soil and weather. The twenty-six families with garden plots also learn to raise American vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, and okra, in addition to a few that are common in Burma, such as rosella, watercress, bok choy, and kale.  Not only are the Burmese adapting to gardening in the United States, the Community Garden project will also help them attain self-sufficiency. In addition to two presentations by Ricky Kemery and volunteers from the Purdue Extension Service about growing and caring for plants, presentations are scheduled toward the end of the season about canning vegetables and selling fresh produce at a Farmer's Market and local grocery stores. Refugees will be able to provide their families with crucial healthy, nutritious vegetables and even sell their surplus, learning about microbusinesses and gaining a side income. The key to this project is that by educating them on gardening and marketing the fruits of their labor, refugees are getting a hand up instead of a handout. Chan Hmaine Aung, Self Sufficiency Coordinator from the Burmese Advocacy Center, is in charge of running the community garden and is enthusiastic about its progress. "The families are really excited," he says; "they feel like they are in their own country. They are advancing their skills in growing and selling fresh produce in the United States. They did not know how to fit in, but now there's a chance for them to work and do something profitable." For more information, please contact Chan at caung@bacindiana.org or (260)456-8969x316.
Katherine Romelfanger is an intern with the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation. |
Healthy Homes educator going door-to-door
By Katherine Romelfanger  Burmese refugees in Fort Wayne are receiving a practical education from Aye Ma, a Burmese native who came to America about ten years ago with her family. Aye is part of the Allen County Lead and Healthy Homes Program, a collaborative project of the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation and the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health. Its aim is to educate individuals and the community how to identify and eliminate lead and other hazards in the home. American culture and safety education is essential for the many Burmese refugees who come to Fort Wayne, as most refugees lived in primitive camps for years or even their entire lives before migrating to America. They have never owned real homes or appliances and have had no formal education regarding illness, nutrition, or exercise, among other related topics. Aye and the Allen County Healthy Homes Program are working to change that lack of knowledge. Over the past two months, Aye has been traveling to public locations and Burmese homes to deliver classes on topics such as nutrition, healthy living, safety, hygiene, common diseases such as flu, proper clothing for Indiana weather, and health concerns with some Burmese traditions, such as chewing the carcinogenic betel nut and using possible lead containing products and home remedies such as thanakha paste applied to the face, used as a coolant, and the stomach ailment treatments of daw tway and daw kyin which have been removed from the market. During each session, attendees also ask Aye to translate letters for them and tell her about any problems they have with daily life, including medical conditions, transportation, and housing. For some classes, she also offers free bus passes for a field trip experience on how to use public transportation to get groceries and for appointments and often serves as a translator for health screenings and other related activities as well. "With the growing number of Burmese children identified with lead poisoning," says Loaine Hagerty, Program Coordinator for the Healthy Homes Program; "Aye is a valuable asset to our educational team." Public locations for Aye's classes include St. Augustine Church Tuesdays from 6-8p.m. Please contact Aye through the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation at the Community Resource Center for Refugees, 2628 S Calhoun St. or by calling (260)456-8969 ext.318 or emailing ayema1@verizon.net for questions or a more detailed class schedule. Katherine Romelfanger is an intern with the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation. |
 BAC aims for accessibility and self-sufficiency The Burmese Advocacy Center (BAC) is committed to improving the quality of life for all members of the entire refugee community, regardless of ethnic group, relation, or religion. Our goal is to create a centralized location to coordinate local efforts for improving the accessibility of services and to provide the necessary educational training necessary to thoroughly and successfully integrate the Burmese community into the local community. We aim to improve Burmese residents' comprehension and success in self-sufficiency, health, and employment in Fort Wayne by offering classes and services relative to those needs and working to improve the quality of life for all members of the local Burmese community. We serve all refugees who lived in Fort Wayne, IN from six months through five years.
- For the BAC administrative office please call 456-8969 Ext. 315 or email mnantin@bacindiana.org.
- For determining medical needs and providing referrals, assistance with Medicaid application and status, medical appointments, follow up to ensure patients are adhering to doctor's instructions, and health educational classes, please contact the health coordinator at (456-8969) Ext. 314 or hshwe@bacindiana.org
- For the basic ESL classes, work place communication training, green cards, IDs and social security cards, public transportation, gardening, financial management advising, and parenting, classes, please contact the self-sufficiency coordinator at 456-8969 Ext. 316 or caung@bacindiana.org
- For job searching, job readiness, sewing skill training, work place conversation training, work place safety and policies, etiquette, and culture training, please call employment coordinator 456-8969 Ext. 317 or ylatt@bacindiana.org
- Regularly, the BAC staff meets with clients on Mondays from 12:00-7:00pm, and from 9:00 a.m.-5:00pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. We take clients by walk-ins or by appointments.
- BAC volunteers help with Medicaid, food stamps, cash assistance, housing, IDs, letter reading, and medical appointment every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m.-4:00pm. For more information, please call 345-8969. Ext. 315
Please visit our website, www.bacindiana.org
Minn Myint Nan Tin is the Executive Director of the Burmese Advocacy Center. She can be reached at (260) 345-8969 Ext. 315 or at mnantin@bacindiana.org |
|
BAC Training and Class Schedule for June-July |
Health Education Classes:
Every Thursday at 4-6 p.m.
Contact Person: Htoo N. Shwe, (260) 456-8969 Ext. 314  Skills Training ClassesSewing Skill Training (Mon, Wed, Fri, 4-6pm) Sewing Skill English Language Class (Mon, Wed, Fri at 4-6pm) Contact Person: Ye W. Lat, (260) 456-8969 Ext.317
Self-Sufficiency Classes
Basic English Language Class (Mon, Wed, Fri at 5-7pm) Workplace Communication (Mon, Wed, Fri at 5-7pm) Contact Person: Chan M. Aung, (260) 456-8969 Ext. 316
Other trainings...
Volunteer's Meeting/Red Cross Training (by Self-Sufficiency Coordination)
June 25, 4-6pm at CRCR
Budgeting Training (by Self-Sufficiency Coordination)
June 24th, 5-7 pm at CRCR
Community Outreach Health Educational Class (by Health Coordination)
Every Second Monday, at 3-4 pm
At Brandon Wood 1217 Fayette Dr., Fort Wayne, IN 46816
Medical Terminology and Interpretation Training (Employment and Health Coordination)
July (1st, 18th, 25th)
August (1st, 8th, 15th)
|
 Rx for Refugee Health: Hepatitis
This issue I would like to briefly discuss another important health issue for the refugee: hepatitis. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver and many things can cause this inflammation: toxins, certain drugs, some diseases, heavy alcohol use, and bacterial and viral infections. The type of hepatitis we are talking about today is Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, both of which are caused by a virus.
Hepatitis B is a very important infection at the global level, as approximately 350 million people have chronic infection and about 620,000 people die each year worldwide. Of all the people with chronic HBV infection in the world, approximately two-thirds live in Asia. Rates of infection in Burma are thought to be about 10% to 15% of the population.
In the United States, an estimated 800,000 to 1.4 million persons have chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Although a vaccine is available to prevent this disease, many people around the world do not have access to this important vaccine. Every 30-45 seconds, one person dies from this vaccine-preventable disease. Read more
Deborah McMahan, MD, is an internist and Health Commissioner for Allen County. Her RX for Refugee Health appears each issue. |
|
Tracking immunizations with CHIRP
By Nicole Hartman While working with our refugee population, the Immunization Clinic staff at the Department of Health has discovered several incidents in which children have received either double shots or shots that were given at the wrong time so they did not count and will have to be repeated at the correct time. Unfortunately, this has resulted in vaccine waste as well as increased pain and discomfort for the child. We understand the challenges in giving immunizations, especially if the immunization record supplied is not complete and up to date, and of course, and when there is a language barrier. That is why we are encouraging everyone involved in giving immunizations to utilize CHIRP (Children and Hoosier's Immunization Registry Program) to ensure that you have the correct schedule and to avoid potential errors. The Immunization Clinic staff would like to help make immunizations as easy as possible for everyone involved in this very important task and we understand how incredibly busy everyone involved is. If you are not able to check CHIRP for whatever reason, we would be more than happy to fax you a current record and recommendations for what shots are due. We would also like to ensure that CHIRP is kept up to date, which will increase safety and reduce waste. If you are unable to enter the vaccinations given by your office into CHIRP, our staff will enter them for you. We are also encountering a large number of secondary migrants who may need entered into the CHIRP system, which can take up valuable time. Please fax demographic information, prior shot record, and any shots given at your office and we can enter them into CHIRP for you. Unfortunately, at this time we are only able to do this for the refugee population. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call Candy Staadt, RN at (260) 449-3516 or Nikki Hartman, RN at (260) 449-3514 at the Department of Health Immunization Clinic. Nicole Hartman is the Refugee Coordinator at the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health. She can be reached at (260) 449-3514 or at nicole.hartman@co.allen.in.us. |
Compassionate care for crime victims is mission of CVS
By Saneta Maiko
It is always sad and unfortunate when you become a victim of crime and you do nott know what your rights are, the person you can talk to, how the system operates or even the language you can use to report the crime. Crime Victim Care (CVC), a faith-based organization cares, supports and advocates for victims of crime in Allen County through court accompaniment, translation, interpretation, spiritual care and counseling, peer support and criminal justice advocacy. CVC knows that effective communication with victims of crime opens doors for effective service delivery. Some of the old myths such as comparing one victim's experiences with the other victim, blaming the victim or even the victimizer, dismissing the victim's frustration, anger and anxieties or even trying to sell "forgiveness" too quick to the victim are still used to this day and continue to hinder victims of crime from reporting their victimization. In a city with a large influx of refugees and immigrants we expect to have more challenges in helping victims when crime strikes. Starting from the submissiveness caused by the culture of gender, fearing the law enforcement, having an immigration status that makes you feel you might be deported if you report, believing that victimization is part of your culture and for that reason no need to report, language barrier, or even not understanding what your rights are as a victim. All this coupled with lack of cultural skills by service providers can be a double tragedy to victims of crime. Crime Victim Care continues to discover some new issues that hinder immigrants and refugees to report to anybody when they become victims of crime. In their social-oriented culture, the aspect of shame, respect for elders, and loyalty to group rather than individual, family taboos [making it hard for the victim to verbalize intimate information about victimization], poor approach by service providers not understanding how different cultures deal with grieve or rather mourn, and choosing to provide half of the information to the service provider and keeping some information because of fear, can all become a challenge to service providers such as the law enforcement, the criminal justice system, the health department and several community service providers. Our philosophy is that compassionate care, reflective listening, proper cultural orientation, and respect for victims will add to better service delivery and effective community healing. Crime Victim Care stands to help all victims of crime recover from trauma, develop hope for the future and deal with theological issues such as forgiveness, judgment, the problem of evil, heaven, and hell. The help process opens doors for them to find ways of making sense out of the trauma they might be going through, which on the other hand takes a long time. Our staff and volunteers become a healing presence by not pushing their agenda but rather letting victims find ways of overcoming cultural, programmatic and physical barriers toward recovery and strategically releasing the power of the event and the person who caused the event. If you agency staff need training on these issues or if you know of a victim that needs care, call Crime Victim Care at (260) 452-7640 or (260) 484-414 and you will be helped. Chaplain Saneta Maiko, Ph.D. is Founder and Executive Director of Crime Victim Care of Allen County. He can be reached at (260) 484-1414 or seekcvsrs@yahoo.com |
 MIX program on the move
By Irene Paxia As of July 2009, the MIX Program of the American Red Cross will join the Chapter's full services in its newly renovated and expanded offices at: 1212 E. California Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46825 (across from the Memorial Coliseum, bus line 1). At that time, you will be able to reach the MIX at (260) 484-9336. MIX is a program of the American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana providing free translation, interpretation, referral and tracing services to non-native English speakers in the community and cultural competency workshops to help local organizations effectively communicate with different cultural groups. The MIX program serves all language groups through the help of bilingual volunteers. Services include translation of personal documents, in-house interpretation (such as assistance with phone calls and application forms), and referral to social service agencies. The MIX also provides international tracing and messaging services to help clients communicate with their family members when they have been separated by war, conflict, or international disasters. In the spring of 2008, the International Guide to Greater Fort Wayne, a multi-chapter information guide, was released to the community. A PDF version of the guidebook can be downloaded by clicking here.
Ireme Paxia is the director of the Multicultural Information Exchange (MIX) program with the American Red Cross of Notheast Indiana. She can be reached at (260) 373-1999 or mixarcirene@yahoo.com. |
ADVANTAGE's advocacy program helps 'connect the dots'
ADVANTAGE Health Solutions, Inc, under contract with Indiana Medicaid, has developed the Indiana Medicaid Burmese Refugee Assistance Program located in the Community Resource Center for Refugees (CRCR). This Burmese Refugee Assistance Program has Advocacy Coordinators to assist in establishing a primary physician relationship, understanding the Medicaid benefits, arranging transportation to improve access to needed medical services, and language appropriate translation and interpreter services. This advocacy program began November 3, 2008 and is now staffed by three full time employees, two that are bilingual (Burmese and English) and one that speaks English only but is well known in the Allen County Burmese community. Since its opening in 2008 through February 2009, the Advocacy Coordinators have established relationships with 588 Burmese refugees and have assisted with needed services for nearly 1200 appointments. Appointments range from primary care visits to lab and x-rays to pharmacy services. ADVANTAGE works closely with other local agencies in its day to day work with the Advocacy Program and its clients. As a community member of the CRCR, ADVANTAGE sees a strong role in helping communicate the many resources available to meet the cultural needs of the Burmese refugees and "connecting the dots" for these people. ADVANTAGE leadership sincerely appreciates the opportunity to be part of a broader community effort to welcome and assist the Burmese refugees in integrating into the Fort Wayne community, and most importantly, lead healthy and happy lives. Mary Jo Golubski is Executive Project Manager with Advantage Health Solutions Inc. She can be reached at (317) 816-6757 or mgolubski@advantageplan.com. |
|
Lend a Hand: Learn United
More than 1,000 Allen County kids are not meeting third grade reading standards, including refugee children. United Way of Allen County has launched a new initiative called Learn United to rally the support of community members, educators, families and more to improve the reading skills of young children across Allen County. The goal is to close the 3rd grade reading achievment gap in 10 years.
What can I do?
Donate: Give to the United Way
Advocate: Tell friends, family, neighbors and co-workers about Learn United.
There are lots of ways to get involved in refugee resettlement, and one of these ways will be highlighted in each issue of our newsletter. If you would like to suggest a volunteer opportunity, email john.silcox@co.allen.in.us |
| Save the Date |
|
Health Information Fair
Where: Primetime Community Center, 3701 S. Calhoun St.
When: Tuesday, June 30; 2-5 p.m. Contact: Molly Jordan, Community Affairs Coordinator, Lutheran Health Network, (260) 435-7137.
Don't wait until you really need health insurance. Let us help you complete the forms for state-funded health insurance programs such as Healhty Indiana Plan (HIP), Hoosier Healthwise and Medicaid. A Spanish and Burmese interpreter will be available.
Please bring documentation needed for application.
| |
|
|
News You Can Use
The Allen County Public Library will offer a series of beginner-level computer classes geared to the city's Burmese population. The classes will be taught in both English and Burmsee and will cover basic computer skills, Internet job searching, using email and other information. Classes are 10 a.m. to noon Fridays at the Hessen Cassel Branch, 3030 Paudling Road. Classes run July 10 to Aug. 14. Call (260) 421-1330 to register. |
|
Did you know?
A total of 90 new Burmese refugee students entered Fort Wayne Community Schools in 2008-09 school year, of which 39 were primary resettlement and 51 were secondary resettlement. Most were concentrated in Waynedale Elementary, Forest Park Elementary, Miami Middle School, and South Side High School . |
|
Republic of Sudan is the largest and one of the most diverse countries in Africa. According to the BBC News, "it emerged from a two-decade civil war between the mainly Muslim north and the Animist and Christian south, only to see fighting break out in the western region of Darfur in early 2003. The north-south civil war is said to have cost the lives of 1.5 million people. In Darfur, the UN says more than two million people have fled their homes and more than 200,000 have been killed."
Population:
39.4 million
Capital:
Area::
2.5 million sq km(966,757 sq miles), slightly 1/4 the size of the U.S.
Major languages:
Arabic (official), English (official), Nubian, others
Major religions:
Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), indigenous beliefs 25% Life expectancy:
57 years (men),
60 years (women)
Monetary unit:
Sudanese dinar
Main exports:
Oil, cotton, sesame, livestock and hides, gum arabic
Source: BBC News | |
| To your health! |
| Thank you for your interest in the health and well-being of our immigrant and refugee community. Please send your news items, story ideas, photos and other suggestions to john.silcox@co.allen.in.us or call John Silcox at (260) 449-7395 | |
|
|
|
