Somali Bantu Leaders at SOAR Conference

 
I'm very pleased to share this picture of Somali Bantu leaders from Upstate New York attending the 2010 Project SOAR Workshop for ECBOs in New Orleans.  The workshop, put on by the International Rescue Committee, was a great success.  Representatives from Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo took the opportunity to network with other ECBO leaders, including many Somali Bantu leaders from other cities whose organizations currently receive Office of Refugee Resettlement funding.
 
The high point for the Upstate New York leaders was their opportunity to speak with Makda Belay, ORR Program Officer, about the multiple integration challenges facing the Somali Bantu some five years after they arrived in the United States.
 
These leaders are determined to better connect their communities to employers and mainstream social service providers in a linguistically and culturally appropriate manner.  After attendance at the Project SOAR Conference and with the help of ISED Solutions technical assistance, these leaders are closer than ever to achieving their goals.