There are 426 Karenni refugees living in Houston (at least 106 households), according to our latest census. The most challenging issues, for them, are language barrier, transportation, and a need of a community center where they can come together and share peaceful social communication and so forth. According to the board directors of the Karenni community of Houston and volunteers, the three main problems are closely interconnected. The people will be much more productive and contributing to the communities where they live in when they have a group of people working for them effectively and directly in facilitating the three major problems.
There are 5 refugee agencies in Houston such as Catholic Charities, Interfaith Ministries, Alliance, RST and YMCA. These are the five main agencies that are helping all Karenni refugees. All of those agencies have limitation of support. During the first six months, the agencies do everything they can in their power to help. However, for most people staying in Houston more than six months, agencies have less-responsibility-to-no-more responsibility type of relationship as they are having so many more refugees coming their ways to take care of. To be cleared, we are not finger-pointing anyone. What we basically mean is that while the people are still in the process of transitioning into a new cultural community, the help stops suddenly, making most people, who are not ready, live in a desperate measure to survive. Even though the agencies say they are still helping those living longer than six months, the supports are not as effective, timely, and informative as before.
We do understand that Lincoln once said we cannot satisfy all people all the time but we can only satisfy some people all the time or all people sometime. We endlessly thank the US governments, non-profit refugee agencies, and all other unmentioned organizations that have been so working for the unfortunates around the world. We do not take it for granted.
A little history on the Burmese immigrants: Karenni is one the seven states in Burma. It is also the name of its indigenous people. Karen, Karenni, Chin, Mon, Rakhain, Shan and Kachin are the seven states that make up a country called Burma. Six decades ago, Burma was naturally one the richest countries in Asia. Due to lack of political genius, however, the country is politically devastating, economically poor, and socially creating an unprecedented influx of political refugees across the continents.
One of the most challenging problems, right after being left alone by the agencies, is language barrier. Even though classes like English as Second Language are available, there is no way they can learn so fast in speaking, understanding and communicating. They cannot read important mails, reapply government assistances, understand prescriptions, describe medical conditions, have a look at kids’ school reports, find jobs (most important), and ask for needed helps.
Can’t read mails regarding their upcoming appointments had, so many times, delayed their recertification process for assistances. Some families are still unemployed but they already have run out of food stamp for months despite the fact that they are still very well qualified for reapply. Even though they can ask for emergency food assistance, they again do not know how to ask for it in English. Neighbors who speak English a little bit could sometime provide helps. But if those neighbors are working forty hours a week, it is very rare that they can help those in needs during government office hours. This incident is just one problem as a result of language difficulties.
They occasionally get sick in a new environment. And some small clinics are not contracting with any language interpreting company. In fact, some companies do not even have contracted Karenni interpreters available when needed. Patients occasionally got sent back just because there is no one available for communication between the patients and doctors. Things like this happen all the time. Patients with booked appointments have to postpone to another day. Case workers from agencies have to work extra hours. I have a brother, who is a case worker for Catholic Charities Refugee Agency. His off-days are just like his normal business hours (he normally has people in his house). People visit him for translation, for one instance. It does not matter day or night, and his cell phone rings from time to time. It seems as though everyone wish case workers had thirty hours a day, so that a couple hours can be allocated to make sure patients are taken care of and messages are clearly conveyed between the two parties involved.
I, Shar Reh, came to US on July 5th, 2006 with my whole family. I thank God for allowing us to be the first Karenni family to resettle in Houston, a place where hundreds of Karenni family just like us came to live. Also thanks are owed to my former volunteered foreigners-teachers who had come all the way from another countries to refugee camps to teach me, including many friends, English and basic grammars. We are also grateful to be able to help newly arrived families by occasionally visiting them, providing rides to grocery stores, sometime sending them to hospitals, translating medical conditions, and comforting them (as we are sure they have homesickness). However, we can only help so much when we are not working at our respective jobs. I wish I could just help them without worrying about my own bills. However, the world, as we all know it, is not a magic light. We have to work for it. I have two younger brothers, working with two different refugee agencies. One is with Catholic Charities (I mentioned it earlier), and the other with Interfaith Ministries. They are not only serving the two agencies’ clients but they are also helping Karenni people coming from other agencies. Because, we know they can barely ask, understand, and hardly learn from the hardworking but non-Karenni-speaking case workers. Just like we had bad experiences when we first arrived in Houston, we felt pitiful for some families as well. Back to my transition story, we did have several helps. We had a good, very good, Vietnamese case worker from Catholic Charities. Back then, we spoke a little English but still we missed friends so much, we wanted to go back so much, and for some reasons, we did not go out of apartment for months. We were all self-withdrawn, not wanting to talk to each other for many times. The only time we could feel a little relief was when we had a couple Burmese visitors who speak the same language as us. They showed us locations of close-by groceries, clinics, and transportations. We were so happy, knowing there are someone out there who are willing to offer helps. We learnt from them, a lot. The same way, I, with my family members, want the families to feel the way same like we once felt. We find happiness in helping people. We are reaching out to them. Again, we can only do it when we are available. Sometime our available days are on weekends, and the government offices or clinics are closed. What I am trying to say is that if we have someone, fairly salaried and given goals to complete, much more effective and needed helps will be accomplished for the refugee people. I strongly believe we need to build a strong foundation first, so that we can help them to help themselves (a foundation that is based on human needs to prosper as ones.
Most importantly, jobs are scarce nowadays. Even the least paid dirty jobs are hardly available. There are still some who never have a job after living in Houston for more than a year. It is imaginable that non-English speakers will face a whole lot more challenge to get a job. Karenni unemployment rate is high. Thirty percents of workable ages are unemployed. These active-job-searching people know themselves that they are having weaknesses. They promised to me, a volunteer, that any job given to them will mean so much, and that they will stick to it for so long. Unemployment in the family creates domestic quarrels. A wife, who had always been homemaker back in the refugee camps, is disappointed at the husband’s inability to take care of the family’s current financial hardship. Part of it is that they are not fully aware or prepared for a brand new culture and survival fight. Husband, on the other hand, is facing a challenge he never faces before in his lifetime or still in the process of learning a new way of life, making him feels uncompetitive anymore and less confident in his ability. Some families need to be reminded with lessons about new culture, new situation, and new language, and new challenge, etc by our KnCH members. Indeed, two families had been evicted recently because they had been unable to make monthly rent payments. It was a complicated story. Agencies had tried several methods and had reached their utmost highest support. Neighbors had to provide the families temporary residences. Several fathers of the never-have-a-job families went to other states to get jobs. In fact, more than twenty old men were provided transportation by the KnCH to get to North Carolina while family members stay here in Houston. Some went to Georgia, and some in Colorado. A separation we, as Karenni individuals coming from a strong family bondage, never want to see.
Transportation is believed to be the second biggest problem. There are some places of interest such as hospitals, clinics, and government offices locating far from public transportation. Important appointments are postponed or canceled just because there is no way for patients to get there. Some jobs are given up because there is no proper transportation. We all use transportation system to get most of our tasks done. Some corners of Houston are not available for public transportation. Some workers get up in the morning at 3AM to catch 8AM shift.
To help each other and live in solidarity in the pursuit of happiness, we, Karenni people, recently have started a local not-for-profit community group, namely Karenni Community of Houston. We firmly believe that KnCH plays a major role in the community in bringing people together, preserving Karenni identity and supporting peaceful struggle for peace in not only Houston but also in Karenni state. There are three main goals set forth by KncH advisory board and members. These are: one, helping Karenni people living in Houstonian areas; two, preserving, promoting and building Karenni identity; and three, supporting non-violence struggle for peace in Karenni state.
As of now, we have temporary KnCH office (my apartment). Volunteers are assigned to accomplish certain goals and projects. Several projects are in place such as opening office hours on Sunday from 7 am to 11:30 am to help people with Medicaid, Food stamp, and Gold card applications, teaching Karenni literature on Saturday morning from 9 am to 11 am to kids aging from 6 to 10 years old, and having traditional dance training on Sunday from 5 pm to 6 pm to anyone who love to dance. Those are some activities completely related to our missions. However, all missions cannot be accomplished in the projected timeframe as we are just volunteers. More projects are discussed on a monthly basis to meet our missions. All parents like the ideas of KnCH. They all want to be a part of KnCH history. In order to help effectively, we need a community center, a place where we can gather and manage projects. An office space, administrative supplies, compensated full time employees and vehicles are the entire mandatory components for our organization to work for the people, by the people, and with the people. So far, we do not have any community center. We believe we will have one (just a matter of time) if we do the things people need and benefit the most. A nice place where we all can come together, celebrate several important days, and share the beauty of our differences is essential to our organization that needs stability, visibility and teamwork. It will give us rooms to manage several projects. When things are in place, we will invite other ethnic minorities to join us, making our organization stronger and more beneficial for all Burmese people. Another big issue is hiring full time employees. That type of employment will be the one that contributes effectively to our goal accomplishments. We have skilled multi-language-speaking people in place willing to work full time for community services. They have actually been contributing a lot to the Karenni community however they can only do so in their spare time. All we need is to fund those right people. With the transportations available (funded by this proposal), the employees will be happily doing the jobs assigned for the people having a hard time getting by, from day to day. Karenni people will not be late on their food stamp applications again, they will not miss their medically important hospital appointments again, and they will not have to pay ten dollars a day to get to jobs in a very already-crowded van.
Our main projects in place are for those staying in Houston more than 6 months and above but not for those, if possible, making more than the standardized poverty measurement set by the Texas Human and Health Services Commission. Any newly arrived members, less than 6 months in Houston, are considered to be in the hands of refugee agencies. We will also take care of those coming from other cities and states to build a larger Karenni community right here in Houston, a metropolitan place where we can get and find almost anything in the corners. If all projects are implemented as planned, there will be a place where we all can run to whenever an issue arises, there will be a office where all of us can discuss issues that directly matter to us and after all, as a result of all this positive things, we will be prospering and contributing more to the community we live in. We are building a future of hope, prosperity and peace in our Karenni community of Houston.
There are 5 refugee agencies in Houston such as Catholic Charities, Interfaith Ministries, Alliance, RST and YMCA. These are the five main agencies that are helping all Karenni refugees. All of those agencies have limitation of support. During the first six months, the agencies do everything they can in their power to help. However, for most people staying in Houston more than six months, agencies have less-responsibility-to-no-more responsibility type of relationship as they are having so many more refugees coming their ways to take care of. To be cleared, we are not finger-pointing anyone. What we basically mean is that while the people are still in the process of transitioning into a new cultural community, the help stops suddenly, making most people, who are not ready, live in a desperate measure to survive. Even though the agencies say they are still helping those living longer than six months, the supports are not as effective, timely, and informative as before.
We do understand that Lincoln once said we cannot satisfy all people all the time but we can only satisfy some people all the time or all people sometime. We endlessly thank the US governments, non-profit refugee agencies, and all other unmentioned organizations that have been so working for the unfortunates around the world. We do not take it for granted.
A little history on the Burmese immigrants: Karenni is one the seven states in Burma. It is also the name of its indigenous people. Karen, Karenni, Chin, Mon, Rakhain, Shan and Kachin are the seven states that make up a country called Burma. Six decades ago, Burma was naturally one the richest countries in Asia. Due to lack of political genius, however, the country is politically devastating, economically poor, and socially creating an unprecedented influx of political refugees across the continents.
One of the most challenging problems, right after being left alone by the agencies, is language barrier. Even though classes like English as Second Language are available, there is no way they can learn so fast in speaking, understanding and communicating. They cannot read important mails, reapply government assistances, understand prescriptions, describe medical conditions, have a look at kids’ school reports, find jobs (most important), and ask for needed helps.
Can’t read mails regarding their upcoming appointments had, so many times, delayed their recertification process for assistances. Some families are still unemployed but they already have run out of food stamp for months despite the fact that they are still very well qualified for reapply. Even though they can ask for emergency food assistance, they again do not know how to ask for it in English. Neighbors who speak English a little bit could sometime provide helps. But if those neighbors are working forty hours a week, it is very rare that they can help those in needs during government office hours. This incident is just one problem as a result of language difficulties.
They occasionally get sick in a new environment. And some small clinics are not contracting with any language interpreting company. In fact, some companies do not even have contracted Karenni interpreters available when needed. Patients occasionally got sent back just because there is no one available for communication between the patients and doctors. Things like this happen all the time. Patients with booked appointments have to postpone to another day. Case workers from agencies have to work extra hours. I have a brother, who is a case worker for Catholic Charities Refugee Agency. His off-days are just like his normal business hours (he normally has people in his house). People visit him for translation, for one instance. It does not matter day or night, and his cell phone rings from time to time. It seems as though everyone wish case workers had thirty hours a day, so that a couple hours can be allocated to make sure patients are taken care of and messages are clearly conveyed between the two parties involved.
I, Shar Reh, came to US on July 5th, 2006 with my whole family. I thank God for allowing us to be the first Karenni family to resettle in Houston, a place where hundreds of Karenni family just like us came to live. Also thanks are owed to my former volunteered foreigners-teachers who had come all the way from another countries to refugee camps to teach me, including many friends, English and basic grammars. We are also grateful to be able to help newly arrived families by occasionally visiting them, providing rides to grocery stores, sometime sending them to hospitals, translating medical conditions, and comforting them (as we are sure they have homesickness). However, we can only help so much when we are not working at our respective jobs. I wish I could just help them without worrying about my own bills. However, the world, as we all know it, is not a magic light. We have to work for it. I have two younger brothers, working with two different refugee agencies. One is with Catholic Charities (I mentioned it earlier), and the other with Interfaith Ministries. They are not only serving the two agencies’ clients but they are also helping Karenni people coming from other agencies. Because, we know they can barely ask, understand, and hardly learn from the hardworking but non-Karenni-speaking case workers. Just like we had bad experiences when we first arrived in Houston, we felt pitiful for some families as well. Back to my transition story, we did have several helps. We had a good, very good, Vietnamese case worker from Catholic Charities. Back then, we spoke a little English but still we missed friends so much, we wanted to go back so much, and for some reasons, we did not go out of apartment for months. We were all self-withdrawn, not wanting to talk to each other for many times. The only time we could feel a little relief was when we had a couple Burmese visitors who speak the same language as us. They showed us locations of close-by groceries, clinics, and transportations. We were so happy, knowing there are someone out there who are willing to offer helps. We learnt from them, a lot. The same way, I, with my family members, want the families to feel the way same like we once felt. We find happiness in helping people. We are reaching out to them. Again, we can only do it when we are available. Sometime our available days are on weekends, and the government offices or clinics are closed. What I am trying to say is that if we have someone, fairly salaried and given goals to complete, much more effective and needed helps will be accomplished for the refugee people. I strongly believe we need to build a strong foundation first, so that we can help them to help themselves (a foundation that is based on human needs to prosper as ones.
Most importantly, jobs are scarce nowadays. Even the least paid dirty jobs are hardly available. There are still some who never have a job after living in Houston for more than a year. It is imaginable that non-English speakers will face a whole lot more challenge to get a job. Karenni unemployment rate is high. Thirty percents of workable ages are unemployed. These active-job-searching people know themselves that they are having weaknesses. They promised to me, a volunteer, that any job given to them will mean so much, and that they will stick to it for so long. Unemployment in the family creates domestic quarrels. A wife, who had always been homemaker back in the refugee camps, is disappointed at the husband’s inability to take care of the family’s current financial hardship. Part of it is that they are not fully aware or prepared for a brand new culture and survival fight. Husband, on the other hand, is facing a challenge he never faces before in his lifetime or still in the process of learning a new way of life, making him feels uncompetitive anymore and less confident in his ability. Some families need to be reminded with lessons about new culture, new situation, and new language, and new challenge, etc by our KnCH members. Indeed, two families had been evicted recently because they had been unable to make monthly rent payments. It was a complicated story. Agencies had tried several methods and had reached their utmost highest support. Neighbors had to provide the families temporary residences. Several fathers of the never-have-a-job families went to other states to get jobs. In fact, more than twenty old men were provided transportation by the KnCH to get to North Carolina while family members stay here in Houston. Some went to Georgia, and some in Colorado. A separation we, as Karenni individuals coming from a strong family bondage, never want to see.
Transportation is believed to be the second biggest problem. There are some places of interest such as hospitals, clinics, and government offices locating far from public transportation. Important appointments are postponed or canceled just because there is no way for patients to get there. Some jobs are given up because there is no proper transportation. We all use transportation system to get most of our tasks done. Some corners of Houston are not available for public transportation. Some workers get up in the morning at 3AM to catch 8AM shift.
To help each other and live in solidarity in the pursuit of happiness, we, Karenni people, recently have started a local not-for-profit community group, namely Karenni Community of Houston. We firmly believe that KnCH plays a major role in the community in bringing people together, preserving Karenni identity and supporting peaceful struggle for peace in not only Houston but also in Karenni state. There are three main goals set forth by KncH advisory board and members. These are: one, helping Karenni people living in Houstonian areas; two, preserving, promoting and building Karenni identity; and three, supporting non-violence struggle for peace in Karenni state.
As of now, we have temporary KnCH office (my apartment). Volunteers are assigned to accomplish certain goals and projects. Several projects are in place such as opening office hours on Sunday from 7 am to 11:30 am to help people with Medicaid, Food stamp, and Gold card applications, teaching Karenni literature on Saturday morning from 9 am to 11 am to kids aging from 6 to 10 years old, and having traditional dance training on Sunday from 5 pm to 6 pm to anyone who love to dance. Those are some activities completely related to our missions. However, all missions cannot be accomplished in the projected timeframe as we are just volunteers. More projects are discussed on a monthly basis to meet our missions. All parents like the ideas of KnCH. They all want to be a part of KnCH history. In order to help effectively, we need a community center, a place where we can gather and manage projects. An office space, administrative supplies, compensated full time employees and vehicles are the entire mandatory components for our organization to work for the people, by the people, and with the people. So far, we do not have any community center. We believe we will have one (just a matter of time) if we do the things people need and benefit the most. A nice place where we all can come together, celebrate several important days, and share the beauty of our differences is essential to our organization that needs stability, visibility and teamwork. It will give us rooms to manage several projects. When things are in place, we will invite other ethnic minorities to join us, making our organization stronger and more beneficial for all Burmese people. Another big issue is hiring full time employees. That type of employment will be the one that contributes effectively to our goal accomplishments. We have skilled multi-language-speaking people in place willing to work full time for community services. They have actually been contributing a lot to the Karenni community however they can only do so in their spare time. All we need is to fund those right people. With the transportations available (funded by this proposal), the employees will be happily doing the jobs assigned for the people having a hard time getting by, from day to day. Karenni people will not be late on their food stamp applications again, they will not miss their medically important hospital appointments again, and they will not have to pay ten dollars a day to get to jobs in a very already-crowded van.
Our main projects in place are for those staying in Houston more than 6 months and above but not for those, if possible, making more than the standardized poverty measurement set by the Texas Human and Health Services Commission. Any newly arrived members, less than 6 months in Houston, are considered to be in the hands of refugee agencies. We will also take care of those coming from other cities and states to build a larger Karenni community right here in Houston, a metropolitan place where we can get and find almost anything in the corners. If all projects are implemented as planned, there will be a place where we all can run to whenever an issue arises, there will be a office where all of us can discuss issues that directly matter to us and after all, as a result of all this positive things, we will be prospering and contributing more to the community we live in. We are building a future of hope, prosperity and peace in our Karenni community of Houston.
I don't think I will ever have enough words to compliment on how much I am impressed of your excellent job and sincere heart you have toward your people. when we put our dream and envision seriously, we surely get there in a matter of time. keep it up and I will always be in standby to support you with whatever i am capable with.
ReplyDelete