8/31/2023 0 Comments Leone timing entries![]() ![]() I don’t want to see another generation of children go through what I’ve gone through and what other children of my generation went through. The IRC's Phoenix resettlement office, for example, worked with clinical psychologists to provide specialized counseling services. Many of the Lost Boys resettled by the IRC also took part in IRC programs aimed at helping them cope with their traumatic past and easing their transition into such a different culture. Volunteers at the IRC's Boston office (now closed) took part in a mentoring program for newly arrived Kakuma youth, providing support and guidance, and organizing recreational activities to bring the young men together. They served as an essential link to the greater community, helping to generate additional employment opportunities, as well as increase donations and awareness. Volunteers, many of whom became aware of the immense needs of this group through media coverage, also played a significant role in this area. IRC case workers worked closely with the boys in orienting them to their new communities, making sure that they were as comfortable as possible, and offering guidance on such issues as personal safety, social customs, public transportation, shopping, cooking, nutrition and hygiene. The Lost Boys faced enormous challenges in adjusting to American culture and modern society. ![]() The IRC helped the Lost Boys find jobs with local employers and connected them with volunteer mentors for help studying for exams to enable them to receive a General Equivalency Diploma (GED), and in turn, apply for college. For these young men, IRC staff members stressed the importance of finding a job soon after arrival, and continuing their educational pursuits part-time. And even though the majority attended school within Kakuma camp and had completed or were well on their way to completing high school, they did not necessarily qualify for entry into U.S. Since most were over 18 and living on their own they needed to support themselves. Most of the older boys who came to the United States were eager to capitalize on opportunities for higher education, but found that their idea of becoming full time students was not a realistic goal. "They have been like family to each other for so long now, so it's best for them to continue to live as a family unit here." Quest for education "We place the older boys together in apartments to try to maintain the kind of support network that they developed throughout their difficult journey and while living in the Kakuma camp," said Jon Merrill, who was then director of the IRC's resettlement program in Tucson. They have been like family to each other for so long now, so it's best for them to continue to live as a family unit here.īecause many of the newly arrived Lost Boys were over 18 and considered adults, they were not placed into foster care. “We accompanied and supported them throughout a large part of their journey.” “The IRC’s health, sanitation, community services and education programs touched, in one way or another, the lives of all the Lost Boys who were in Kakuma and who were eventually resettled in the U.S.A.,” recalled Jason Phillips, who managed IRC programs in the camp from 2000 to 2001. The IRC also helped these young entrepreneurs start savings accounts and access small loans to invest in their futures. Older boys took part in IRC education programs, and received support to learn trades and start small businesses to earn money to supplement relief rations. Its programs expanded over time to include all of the camp’s health services: treating refugees who arrived malnourished or sick, offering rehabilitation programs for those who were disabled, and working to prevent outbreaks of disease. The IRC began working in Kakuma in 1992 to assist the Lost Boys and other refugees fleeing the fighting in Sudan. Some 10,000 boys, between the ages of eight and 18, eventually made it to the Kakuma refugee camp-a sprawling, parched settlement of mud huts where they would live for the next eight years under the care of refugee relief organizations like the IRC. In 1991, war in Ethiopia sent the young refugees fleeing again and approximately a year later they began trickling into northern Kenya. Some were attacked and killed by wild animals others drowned crossing rivers and many were caught in the crossfire of fighting forces. Thousands of boys lost their lives to hunger, dehydration, and exhaustion. Wandering in and out of war zones, these "Lost Boys" spent the next four years in dire conditions. In the next few years, an estimated 20,000 Sudanese children fled their homeland in search of safety in what turned out to be a treacherous 1,000-mile journey to Ethiopia. ![]()
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