ECDC/The African Community Center owns and operates a thrift store near downtown Denver. Safari Seconds is staffed entirely by refugees. The store was started as a response to the need for a "work lab" where adult refugees could get hands-on job training in a newcomer-friendly environment.
I guess I should never say "never." Recently, I've received quite a few in-home tutor referrals for women in Aurora. Most live near Havana and Colfax, although there are a few others scattered throughout the east side of town.
In an earlier post I mentioned the excellent Website for Eastside Literacy's ESL Program. If you haven't yet seen their materials, take the time to check it out. Why reinvent the wheel? The site is exceptionally well organized, easy to navigate, and to the point. You will not get lost or overwhelmed as you read and print materials. 
Google and UNHCR have teamed up to show the world a clearer view of refugee issues around the globe. Google Earth, Google's powerful goespatial mapping program, has been tagged with an extra layer of information detailing some of the places where refugees live. This includes camps, open areas, and urban situations.
Ouch. Your Volunteer Coordinator is battling through an outbreak of shingles. Who knew the human body could put itself into so much pain?
The office of Home Tutoring Central will be closed for Spring Break until 11:00 a.m., Monday March 31.
Wanted: Patient, loving, dedicated volunteer to teach English to an 84-year-old Burmese Karen woman. This grandmother arrived in the U.S. in November and is parenting three grandchildren, ages 6, 10, and 13. Her case manager says she could use the English help as well as some moral support. She is not literate; however, she still would like to learn some spoken English.
Click any link to see the plan.
Lessons for nonliterate adults
Comprehensive plan for Beginning Level
Comprehensive Plan for Intermediate students
You can listen to the entire story online by clicking here.Once the troops are in Darfur, Gaouette tells Melissa Block, their mandate is "tremendously expansive."
"We've been tasked to look into the human rights situation. We've been tasked to help with building systems for the rule of law. We've been tasked to help in an area they call 'child protection,'" he says. "But the marquee issue in the mandate is 'protection of civilians.'"
Gaouette says he's concerned that there may be an expectation
that the force "would be able to somehow magically step between two warring
parties and stop a war."
"We're not equipped to do so."
Each year, the refugee populations that come into the U.S. change according to conditions overseas. This year, we are expecting to see more Somalis, Burmese (especially Karen), and Nepalese from Bhutan. If you would like to learn about these populations and the circumstances that bring them here, check the links below.Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal this weekend, their situation went from bad to worse. You can read the UNHCR article here
The Somalis: History and Culture
Hmmm...75 degrees on Saturday, 20 degrees on Sunday. Does that mean the lion ate the lamb or just chased it away?
Last week, Colorado Public Radio aired a story about refugee resettlement in Colorado. A Little Something participant, Haiffaa Ali, was part of that interview. The program's producers felt it would be beneficial for listeners to hear a more in-depth interview with Haiffaa, especially to compare her impressions at one year in the U.S. with the first impressions of the newly arrived woman featured in the first interview.
Tune in on Tuesday, February 12th at 10:00am and 7:00pm on 1340AM. Hear the story of one of Denver's newest arriving community members on NPR/CPR's Colorado Matters. Zuhal, an Iraqi refugee, arrived three weeks ago by way of Jordan. Interviews with a case manager, another Iraqi woman (Sharon's student!), and the director of the state refugee office are also interviewed. If you miss the show on Tuesday, you can listen to it via the online archives by clicking here. Scroll down to select the February 12 program.
See a live performance by the Pan African Group (who will also be on stage at the 2008 African Extravaganza) on Fox 31's Good Day Colorado, Tuesday, February 19th at 8:30am. (Channel 13 on comcast cable)
There is an article on today's CNN Website about the latest developments in the Darfur region of Sudan. It's not very encouraging. Click here to read the story.
It's time to report your tutoring hours for January. Please don't forget to include your student's name along with the number of hours you tutored in January.
So many of you are working with Burmese refugees, I continue to look for good resources that will help you as you help your student.
