Over $600K given to boost schooling of refugee students
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In-home tutors working with refugee students. (Photo by Mona Han) |
“I needed to
be with my children,” said a Somali refugee who fled to Seattle in 2010. “They
are my responsibility.”
His children
were almost 9,000 miles away, living on the border of Kenya. They arrived three
years later after their father sponsored their trip.
To protect his
remaining relatives in Somalia, this man wished to remain anonymous.
“Refugees feel
that in a country like America you should feel safe, but they still worry that
the safety of their families back home may be in jeopardy if anything about
them is visible or published,” said Mona Han, executive director of the
Coalition for Refugees from Burma, a nonprofit organization
focused on providing social support services to improve living conditions and
quality of life for refugees resettling in Washington state.
Each year,
nearly one million Somalis are displaced. Seeking a new life free from
persecution, violence, and conflict, 2,483 documented refugees have settled in Washington state.
Terrorism in
Somalia
Located in the
Horn of Africa, Somalia suffers from an ineffective government, famine,
disease, and militant extremism. The country is considered to be one of the
most dangerous and failed states in the world, according to the annual ranking by Foreign Policy and The
Global Fund For Peace.
The country
remains fragile with increasing warlords and constant attacks from the Al
Shabab terrorist group. Just three years ago they had stormed Villa Somalia,
the official residential palace and principal workplace of the President of
Somalia, on a mission to kill or capture the president during Friday prayer.
Although they
failed to get the president, they managed to shoot Mohamud Indhacase, secretary
to the office of the prime minister, and 60 others. Indhacase’s longstanding
goal was to help improve the quality of life in Somalia ever since the end of
their longest-running civil war in 2012.
“In Somalia
life was becoming no good,” the Somalis refugee said. “Coming to America was a
dream come true.”
With help from
the Coalition, the Somali refugee, along with his two children, ages nine and
ten, were able to make a peaceful transition into American society and the
public school system.
“They (The
Coalition) are really good,” he said. “My children can now read and write. I
encourage everyone in my neighborhood to join."
Refugee
graduation rates on the rise
For the past
eight years, Washington state has been the recipient of the Federal Refugee
Impact Grant. This year, the state received $624,602 to help
refugee students integrate into the public school system and raise English
proficiency rates
In partnership
with the Seattle School District, the Coalition uses grant money to setup after
school activities to help boost reading comprehension and writing skills. One
of those programs includes an in-home tutoring program for students in grades
K-12.
“It’s really about helping
students navigate the school system, something community based organizations
aim to do,” said Kai-Chin Chan, student and family advocate for the Seattle
School District.
The Somali
refugee’s children are among many who participate in the tutoring sessions.
Before coming to Seattle the kids had no prior schooling. Now, once a week for
an hour and a half his two children meet with a high school tutor to advance
their reading and writing skills.
“They read
books of their choosing and we have lesson plans based on those readings,” said
Han. “They are able to comprehend and write up reflections on what they have
learned and discuss them. These are the type of education skills we take for
granted in America.”
Tutors also
developed the High School Proficiency Exam Preparation Program to increase the
number of students who pass the state’s standardized tests. A lot of the
students who had participated in these after school activities went on to
graduate high school. In the Kent School District, there were over 18 refugee
students who graduated, according to Han.
“They (The Coalition) have been so giving and helpful,” the Somali refugee said. “I am very happy.”
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