For several years, CNNC staff have been involved with the Association of Immigration and Refugee Services Professionals (ARSP) formerly Association for Refugee Service Professionals. This group provides the space for professional growth as well as emotional support for the well being of its members. ARSP disseminates and highlights best practices and resources for its members to be more effective in their work environment. Additionally, ARSP organizes trips to “hot spots” around the world where members have an opportunity to learn about different stages of a refugee’s journey. In May 2015, a number of refugee service professionals in the Greensboro area, including CNNC staff, traveled to Rwanda, Africa on an ARSP-hosted trip to learn about refugee resettlement of Congolese refugees in the Great Lakes Region. See the group’s report here.
In ARSP’s Winter/Spring 2018 Newsletter, CNNC staff member Natacha Nikokeza shares about her work with the Umoja Women’s Group. Umoja means “unity” in Swahili. This group of Congolese and other central African women meets monthly to share about their resettlement experiences over food and fellowship. Hear Natacha, Holly Sienkiewicz, CNNC’s Directory, and Angelique Ndayisenga, an Umoja officer in an interview on NPR’s The State of Things.
Also included in the newsletter is a look at Kenya’s Dadaab camp, a forgotten city of refugees. With a current population of over 235,000, many have lived in the camp for 20+years, CNNC Director Emeritus Raleigh Bailey shares some of the ongoing challenges facing the residents as public attention stays focused on other emerging refugee crises.
ARSP President, Maura Busch Nsonwu, also a CNNC Research Fellow, reminds immigrant and refugee service providers of the importance of self-care and supporting each other during this tumultuous time as we continue to serve some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Check out the Winter/Spring 2018 newsletter and the Summer 2017 newsletter.
Find out more information about ARSP and how to become a member on their website, and follow them on Facebook @Association4foreRefugeeServiceProfessionals.