Bhutanese Refugee Empowerment
(Sewa International Houston)

Early in 2008, Bhutanese refugees began arriving in Houston.   They have been living a sparse existence in UN refugee camps in Nepal for 18 years (photo to the right).  Political conditions are such that these people will never be allowed to go home.  In 2007, the U.S. agreed to take 60,000 of these refugees, one of the largest resettlement efforts ever.

During the years spent in the UN camps, the host country did not permit the Bhutanese to work.  The refugees received limited education, minimal health care, and inadequate food.   

Arriving in Houston with a small bag of personal possessions, they lack the skills necessary to live fully independently in a modern urban environment.  The refugees are placed in apartments in Southwest Houston where they receive a few months’ rent and food support from the U.S. government.   This support is deeply appreciated but is insufficient to set people firmly on their feet.   Right now there are about six hundred Bhutanese refugees in Houston.
Several thousand more are expected to arrive each year.

Sewa USA recognizes the need and is committed to helping these refugees become self-sustaining members of the Houston community. Sewa is a 501(c)3 organization with many volunteers in Houston. “Sewa” is a Sanskrit word that means “selfless service”. 

Sewa volunteers are respected members of Houston’s South Asian community who have experienced the difficulties of being immigrants or the children of immigrants.  They are aware of the difficulties the refugees experience. They are also aware that much can be accomplished through hard work and study.  Speaking a related language, Sewa volunteers are uniquely equipped to assist the Bhutanese in this difficult transition.

This program is called Bhutanese Empowerment and Resettlement.  Over a hundred Sewa volunteers in Houston offer these services to the refugees:

• Grocery shopping assistance
• House cleaning instructions
• Lessons in how to use a modern kitchen
• Free medical care by Indian doctors
• Clothes and school supplies.   The school supplies include calculators, computers and other required supplies.
• House furnishings such as blankets and kitchen supplies
• Drivers education classes
• ESL classes
• Job placement
• Job assistance such as going to work with the refugee several hours a day to make sure they know what to do and what not to do at work
• Rent assistance when government rent payments end
• Advocating for the school children if there is a misunderstanding between the school and the home where English is not spoken
• Transportation to buy groceries, medical visits, work
• Volunteer offer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week assistance
• Motivation  - Motivation is a difficult issue, but  we are very successful at getting people to go to work and be successful at work.   Sewa volunteers are very clear that all able adults must go to work.

Sewa keeps comprehensive records of all the refugees, the services they need, and the services they’ve received.    The administrative structure is working well with a coordinator overseeing of the five apartment buildings in Southwest Houston where the refugees are living.    Each of the apartment coordinators relies on a network of volunteer managers with special skills such as transportation coordination, computer training, and ESL training. 
       
Sewa volunteers - university students and professional people of all career types - go to great lengths to support the efforts of the refugees to become independent contributors to life in Houston.   Sewa is committed to making sure the refugees do not become involved in crime or a dependency lifestyle
 

Please email at Houston@sewausa.org to join the volunteer team. You can also donate to Bhutanese project at following link, please ‘Houston BRE’ on the memo.
http://www.sewausa.org/contribute-sewa-usa

Houston offers shelter for exiles

International organization helps refugees, who have escaped terrible conditions, adjust to life in U
By Sarah Krusleski
Published: Monday, August 24, 2009
Updated: Sunday, August 23, 2009

Courtesy of SYWA
Bhutanese refugees who come to Houston are placed in apartments by the U.S. government. They are provided with financial assistance while obtaining skills to gain employment.
After a long and harrowing journey from horrific camps, Bhutanese refugees have found a haven in Houston through Sewa International.
An article on life as a Bhutanese refugee written by Lok Nath Bastola, which appeared on Sewa’s Web site, estimated that 100,000 Bhutanese were exiled to Nepalese refugee camps by their own government.
Bastola said life in these camps “is really miserable and monotonous” because of numerous problems, including rampant rape and robberies. To make matters worse, the refugees had no electricity, no clean water, no communication with the outside world and minimal food, Bastrola said.
Those who fell ill were forced to rely on untrained health workers who sometimes provided improper treatment.
“They’ve been living in refugee camps. They’ve had limited access to health care, education, and just coming to America and having to find jobs. If you’ve never had to work, it’s different to have to need to work,” Sewa International public relations intern Melissa Ramdass said. “We help them with computer skills, resumes and job interview etiquette.”
Refugees attend English and computer classes to study grammar and spelling as well as how to make resumes.
Ramdass said Sewa International helps younger refugees by coordinating art activity days. The organization is also starting a buddy program that will match refugees with high school students, according to common interests.
“We’re’ always looking for more volunteers, especially youth. We’re looking for high school students to mentor the Bhutanese high school students,” Ramdass said.
Ramdass said Sewa International coordinates several activities to help female refugees support each other, such as a women’s knitting circle.
“It’s part of their culture. They’re very good. I think the first week, they made three hats and a scarf,” Ramdass said. “They had four skeins of yarn and they made beautiful pieces.”
The initial results of the knitting circle were discouraging. Some of the women were afraid to be alone with volunteers or other refugees without a man present.
“They wouldn’t even be alone with the volunteers, but now they have trust, and that’s amazing,” Ramdass said