Refugee Camps and Orientation Meeting
Here’s some background information on the refugee camps in Thailand for the displaced people of Burma, www.tbbc.org. The Burmese refugees that are settled in our community come from the Mae La, Umpiem Mai, Nu Po, Tham Hin, and Ban Mai Nai Soi camp.
Things still moving forward, but slowly so I have combined two days into a single entry.
Day 9
We made appointments for the family at the Waukesha Public Health Department. This is a necessary for every arriving refugee family. Typically everyone needs TB tests. Sometimes blood tests are also required. It’s good to get these appointments in as soon as possible.
Day 10
A case worker at Lutheran Social Services conducted an orientation with the family today. The orientation is designed to be very informational for the family, explaining the process they are going through. An interpreter must be present to make sure communication is clear.
Although not a requirement, we recommend that the cosponsor be present at this meeting. In fact we insist on being present because we want to understand what the family is being told so that we can support that perspective and answer questions relative to that understanding.
Furthermore, with an interpreter present the family can ask questions of the cosponsor and the cosponsor can ask questions of the family. This creates a great opportunity to build a stronger trusting relationship.
Oops, we weren’t invited to this meeting and only learned about it after the fact. That’s too bad since we always enjoy having this opportunity.
