COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. The impact of the coronavirus has been even more profound for those whose worlds were upside down before the pandemic even began.
Imagine trying to navigate this situation thousands of miles from home, in a new culture and with a new language.
This is the world recently resettled refugees are living in.
<br />
You lived in a refugee camp for six years before coming to the U.S. 11 years ago, and today you help resettled refugees in your work with Bethany. Would you say it’s an easy decision to say “yes” to being resettled in a country unfamiliar to you?
It’s easy for people to think others make the decision to be a refugee. Less than 0.1% of all refugees are resettled each year. For many displaced people, there are a lot of problems in their home countries. We have to be resettled somewhere else for a chance to go to school or to work on ourselves and our future.
<br />
Your kids are Eritrean like you, but they've only known life in Pennsylvania where you live. What do you tell them about life in a refugee camp?
Like any human being, you never forget your background. So as I teach them about our culture and our past and about refugees and the problems they face, I believe my children will have a good heart. We have to help one another.
<br />
Right now, we're in a global pandemic, and it’s changed your work as a refugee employment specialist. What was your job at Bethany like before COVID-19?
It’s been a big change. Before the pandemic, we were able to meet with clients face-to-face. We could help with their paperwork and bring them to interviews for employment. Now, everyone’s wearing a mask and just calling in by phone. We can’t meet with employers, and they’re nervous to hire new employees. Now we can’t meet the people and even the employers.
<br />
More than 30 million people in the United States have filed unemployment claims. In your position, you typically help refugees find jobs after arriving in the U.S. How different is that now?
We’re still helping families; it just looks different. There’s a great need for employment for many families. The city of Allentown announced they would be helping refugees. If someone lost their job or is at risk of losing their home, there’s criteria in place to assist with providing essential resources.
<br />
What are some of the other challenges that recently resettled refugees are facing in Pennsylvania during the pandemic?
The biggest thing is job loss. Many companies have closed their doors. We work with a lot of families that were laid off from a local company—and they need extra help. It keeps me up at night. I know the pain of a refugee. At the end of the day, I’m always thinking about these families because I am a part of them. I like Bethany because we’re helping people—it’s just hard at this time.
<br />
Yes, there’s great influence in Allentown. And I’ve built great friendships with the local churches. There’s a woman, Maria, who works at one of the churches and has helped a great deal with families’ applications. Maria knows the mayor and put me in contact with him, so I’ve had the chance to speak with him about the needs of the refugee families we serve.
We understand that everyone needs help right now. We’re just making sure that refugee families are included.
<br />
What advice do you have for churches or people who would like to get involved with helping refugees?
I would encourage them to contact their local Bethany office to learn what their first and greatest need is. Last month, I spoke with a church that showed their support by paying the rent for a refugee family.
The church here in Allentown has become a community for refugees who are living in a new culture, thousands of miles from their home. They are being the hands and feet of Christ for these families in that way
<br />
