Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio

Allison Ng, Summer 2012

I've always wanted to travel the world, but as a medical student, a lack of funds constantly seems to hamper these dreams. In light of my ever-shrinking bank account, I decided that I should do something with my summer that would pay. I also wanted to do something that was service-oriented so the Urban Health Project seemed like a perfect fit. I was paired with the Refugee Resettlement Program at Catholic Charities SouthWestern Ohio. I never would have thought that I could come so close to traveling the world within Cincinnati, the very city in which I was born and raised.

This summer I have worked with refugees from Bhutan, Iraq, Eritrea, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote D'Ivoire, and Burundi. I was primarily responsible for assisting refugees during their medical appointments and other tasks associated with the efficiency of the medical assessment process that refugees experience. I also filled in as needed with tasks such as preparing a home to be settled by refugees and accompanying on field trips for the English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) class.

During my internship I was surrounded by languages, clothes, customs, and fragrances that the refugees brought from their home countries. Although I became accustomed to and eventually came to embrace all of the foreign culture, I always had the comfort of knowing that I could return to a place that spoke my language and shared my customs. I can only imagine how difficult it is for the refugees to become accustomed to life in America without the solace of knowing that they can return to familiarity.

Refugees face many barriers. They must learn a new language and a new set of customs. They have little money and few means of transportation when they first arrive. They must get used to independence, as many of them come from camps where their lives are dictated to them. Often times they come in families but sometimes they come alone, which makes the journey all the more difficult. On top of that many of them still face the demons of nightmares past- the humiliation of discrimination, the ravages of war, the constant fear of persecution...

Although the refugees are up against so many obstacles, they always seem to challenge them with a happy face. It's not that they are not aware of the challenges before them, but rather it is the knowledge that they are safe and that they are in a land of great opportunity that keeps a smile on their faces. A quote from Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, sums up what I witnessed during my internship this summer, “While every refugee's story is different and their anguish personal, they all share a common thread of uncommon courage- the courage not only to survive, but to persevere and rebuild their shattered lives.”