To prepare for this family, I would first make sure I understood the region they were coming from and what was happening there. I would then consult a developmental psychologist for advise on children that come from war torn environments. I would not assume they are Muslim, because the persecution of Christians there would lead me to wonder if they were religious refugees. Once I knew for sure their religion, I would make whatever accommodations I could for them if necessary. Another thing I could do is learn a little of their language and about their surface culture so I could teach the children in the program some things about Sudan which would help to ease the transition for the child a little bit. If possible, I would try to locate other Sudanese in the area to help bridge the communication gap, as well as create a more familiar atmosphere for the child and family.
I would hope that all of these preparations would benefit the family and child by giving a sense of welcoming, caring and friendship to the new immigrants. It will also educate the staff by teaching them about a region of the world that they probably never thought about before and that is completely different from the comfortable life they have here in the U.S.
Images of Sudanese Children
BethAnn, you have great preparations! Locating other Sudanese families in the area is wonderful way to be prepared. Both you and the family will feel connected this way. The child will learn best the more familiar things are to him/her. Changing living environments is never super easy so these plans you have are a great way to make their transition a more easier one.
ReplyDelete~Jalice
Bethann, this was a great blog post. I really like how you actually included images of the children from the country that you are discussing. I enjoyed reading your post because I didnt know anything about Sudan either. Excellent ways to prepare for the family. You really put a lot of thought into it. Do you feel that all these efforts will really work? Or do you need to put more thought into them?
ReplyDeleteBethann,
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures that you have places on your blog. While many of the children are smiling, there eyes show that they have and are going through a lot. I agree with your statement that if anyone is fortunate enough to get out of Sudan having a psychologist around will help the children and families deal with the transition from Sundan to the United States and also with any emotional and mental trauma that they have experienced!
Bethann,
ReplyDeleteIt seems you have put some thought into your preparation. I really like the idea of you reaching out to others in the area who might be from Sudan to help you for communication purposes. This is a great way to help the family find other families like them to help them with the transition as well. You talked about learning their religion and this is very important because many times children who have a religion different from the religion of the majority get overlooked. It reminds me of Nadiyah in the video from the course resource when she said that she felt like a burden to the teacher when excluded from activities that were against her religion. No accommodations were made, so it is great that you thought of their religion and its importance.
Beth, This is so lovely, I decided on Nigeria because of my background but you just pick the right country. I have never meet anyone that I know of from Sundan. If they would see you post they would surely feel welcome. Have you ever want to invite someone to you home from another country?
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