In August 1999, I became a caseworker at World Relief in Atlanta. This page gives a brief overview of the work I do and what our agency is about.

The organization: World Relief is a faith-based international relief and development organization with projects located in countries throughout the world. In the US, it acts as a voluntary resettlement agency for the Department of State's Refugee Resettlement Program . This means that, through the various programs and activities it provides, World Relief helps families fleeing political or religious persecution in their own countries to begin making a new life here in the United States. This process often involves providing the necessities of day-to-day life. In addition, World Relief might offer services such as English classes and employment searches. Most significantly, however, World Relief seeks to link churches and individual volunteers with the refugees themselves in order to make this difficult transition easier and much more meaningful.

Who are refugees? Click here to find out.

My job: As a caseworker, I have the opportunity to aid families from all over the world in making their adjustment to living in the US. The duties of my job remain quite varied. It might include practical aid such as meeting a family at the airport or bringing furniture to their home. It often involves offering advice and instruction on living in a new community or completing government forms as well. My training in anthropology is particularly helpful as I try to help individuals bridge the cultural divides they face through cultural orientation, training, and explanation. With arrivals of refugees from central and west Africa, I also spend a good deal of time interpreting and translating in French. In all, I check to make sure that the refugees receive all the basic necessities which will allow them to become self-sufficient and comfortable in their new lives. Whether an extended family from Somalia or a single individual from Bosnia, this job requires both an appreciation of the cultural background of the refugees and, more significantly, a real desire to see them succeed. Though it takes much time and effort, it is seeing that success which gives the job its meaning.


Filling out forms with some Somali clients in their home

 

Want to know more? Visit this page of refugee-related links.

Cultural Orientation: The focus of my work at the moment is on helping to plan and provide cultural orientation classes for newly arriving Somali Bantu refugee clients.  These classes follow the orientations they receive overseas and include information on life in America, customs, community, laws, expectations, and other important topics.  Follow the links at left for more information on my work in this area.

 

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