End of Summer Bash

By: Chinelo Edochi

Last week Friday we the interns, planned an end of summer bash for the community at Los Arcos. This event took place in the club house at the apartment complex. We had pizza, caprisun for the kids and drinks for the parents. Surprisingly, the older people and some of the parents brought their kids without us having to invite them from their houses to come for the event. We were highly impressed by this action, to me it showed that Sewa had been recognized as an organization trying to provide them with a support system that they appreciated.

We had to bring some of the children from their homes and also invited their parents who showed up. We had a display of all the kids arts and crafts display pictures for their parents to see. We also took pictures of the kids and made photo frames for them which they could keep. One thing that really that really stood out to me was a board that had a list of dreams that these children wanted to do in life. We had a video display which showed all the activities the children had engaged in throughout the whole children’s activities week.

Towards the end, we shared the cake and took pictures with the children. They all had a piece and the parents started dancing to various indian music. One of the mothers put cake icing on each interns face a sign of happiness and fun. I was very happy and warmth filled my heart knowing that I was able to make an impact and become acquainted with this community. Toys and different story books were given to the children and they really appreciated it all kindheartedly.

This internship really warmed me up to various cultures and their beliefs. I have learnt so much working with Sewa for the past 9 weeks. Truly, selfless efforts for the welfare of all is the biggest joy and happiness one could ever experience. Having a sense of fulfillment that you’re making an impact on not just one person’s life but a community brings joy into my innermost heart. I really enjoyed every bit of working with Sewa and hopefully wish to volunteer again in the nearest future.  

The Give and Take from Giving

In the world of philanthropy and service, it is paramount to remind oneself of the macro purpose for a cause. At Sewa, our cause is to enhance the standard of living for Bhutanese refugees in the United States. In order to help that demographic, one must be able to comprehend acculturation and assimilation issues. With the general meeting between GIH Interns and the Vice President of Sewa, I was reminded to focus on the big picture and actually elaborate the deliverables I can provide at the end of the internship. But there is no ‘I’ in ‘Sewa’ and it is the Refugee & Empowerment Team, which I belong to, that can truly usher positive change and validate Sewa’s mission. Our team is focused on mitigating the disparity between refugee parents and children through creating an acculturation program that is conducive to dialogue. Sewa provides the necessary resources and capacity to abridge the social gap between Americans and Bhutanese refugees. However, without an assessment of the beneficiary’s need, it is extremely arduous to create effective programming that will better the status quo.

Women's Health Camp Take Two

By: Chinelo Edochi

The Women’s health camp was scheduled to take place today because the previous week there were circumstances that prevented it from taking place. We started out at 12:00 pm recruiting women and we got positive replies from the women about attending the program. At 12:30 pm we started off the health camp by talking to the women about breast self examinations, taking pap smear tests and getting mammograms.These women were really interested in the camp because they would go on to ask us questions on which clinics or hospitals provide them with the services and at what cost. 

We also had a nurse who is in charge of school based clinics and health services for HISD. She came out and spoke to the women about the various schools that their children or grandchildren attend and gave the specific information about what clinical services the schools provided and how they could acquire them. One thing she made them understand was that, they had the rights as parents to go to the schools and let the faculty know that they’re the parents. Even though there might be a language barrier, their children deserve to have the best health system and they should require it.

We had very positive responses from the women who came, they even asked how often we had the health camps and if we could spread the word throughout their various churches to make the population aware about it. They were very open and comfortable asking questions and with the feedback we got from them, I believe we made a positive difference.

The Final Rush

As this internship draws to a close, I find myself more focused than ever to finish my refugee acculturation projects and grant proposals. I find myself pondering on the lessons I’ve learned from all stakeholders and how they have made a difference in my own life. I find myself perusing over old internship documents and wonder what past interns felt like when this enriching experience was ending. I find myself more patient than ever, more understanding of the plights of the refugees, more inured to the everyday struggles of the Bhutanese beneficiaries. The word “more” is appropriate for the gains I’ve obtained at Sewa, and I feel immense gratitude to my supervisors, my fellow coworkers, and to the Bhutanese/Nepali community. As I rush to complete my intern duties, I sometimes forget to slow down and look at the picture. The big picture is made up of tiny actions that are magnified in the long run. And while in the long run I won’t be working for Sewa, I am so proud to say that Sewa and its organizational culture worked for me. 

Make an Impact

As our days wind down at Sewa Houston, we are finishing the tasks we set out at the beginning of the summer. In addition to planning a volunteer appreciation event, we have created our end-of-summer reports. These reports will assist future GIH interns as they begin to implement change next summer.

There is so much that we feel Sewa can accomplish. We hope that future public health interns will implement more health camps for the Bhutanese refugee community living at Los Arcos. We would like future health camps to include speakers from Houston Independent School District, and experts on the subject at hand.

We also would like to see both men’s and women’s discussion groups come to fruition. Although there was not time for these discussion groups to be implemented this summer, there is a great need within the community to open up about the issues that are important to them. Our vision for this group is that someone in the community will lead the discussion and a few interns will create discussion topics.

We’ve accomplished so much over the last nine weeks. Our only hope is that the future interns at Sewa will do the same.

Almost there!!

Where did this week go?! The past couple days have just flown by, and I fear that it still merely the calm before the storm. Today we had scheduled for a health camp devoted to women's health, but unfortunately due to inclement weather we had to reschedule to next week. As a student of sociology, I'm especially excited about this project because it not only brings together the women of the community who so often are excluded from active participation and ownership of their own health dude to domestic responsibilities to their families-- and this goes beyond cultural borders, it's a universal phenomenon. Women, on average, suffer the highest toll of health consequences around the world, and health education is a prime way to combat this. Here are some pictures from last week's camp ( on health and hygiene) for a general idea of the health camp series in Los Arcos:

The Children

By: Sathvika Ramachandran

An unmistakable attachment has developed between the kids we work with at Los Arcos and us as interns. This week, some of the children surprised us by coming to the Sewa apartment without us having to get them. We did numerous arts and crafts, and the kids were running around and clearly having a ton of fun. A few new children came and immediately warmed up to us, and they began creating their picture frames or clothespin animals. Children’s activities often get chaotic with so many kids running and yelling, but the sheer joy they have plastered on their face from the time they enter the apartment to when it’s time to clean up never wavers. One of the children wrapped her hands around my waist and wouldn’t let go until I had to physically put her down so I could take care of something else. At the end of the day, three of the ten year old girls drew pictures for me saying “I love Ms. Sathvika” and told me to take it home and hang it in my room. The attachment that has formed from playing with these kids has been transformational in that I no longer see myself and the people I’m serving as belonging to two separate spheres. Instead, I’m spending time with my own brothers and sisters. I see no separation between us-- we are just human. 

July 17, 2014

By: Maria Mercado

As the seventh week of this internship come to an end, I have reflected on the progress that Sewa and the Los Arcos community have made together. Programs such as ESL, computer literacy, sewing, and children’s activities have grown a lot since the beginning of the summer.

The computer classes have really been received well by the community, especially as Aishwarya, a Girl Scout, established a program that integrates both the need for computer literacy and English lessons through an online English software. I have seen the process of individuals being reluctant to begin and the quick transition of excitement and curiosity.

The children’s activities this week hit a new record with 21 children participating in various crafts and activities. It was inspiring to see the ease with which the children have to connect with other children of other ethnicities; it truly demonstrates that a child’s heart is blind to the divisions of this world.  There is one more week of children’s activities, and I dread the thought of leaving this children. So I wanted to emphasize the joy that I have had as this community has embraced me into their families and homes.

Health Camp 2

By: Chinelo Edochi

Today we were supposed to have our second health camp which would focus on the women’s health camp. We were supposed to have the nurse from Elrod middle school to come and talk to the parents at Los Arcos about the services they provide for the children and how they can get it. Unfortunately, the nurse wasn’t able to come due to some certain circumstances.

We decided to still go ahead with the health camp despite that circumstance.

The health camp was scheduled to start at 12:00 pm and around 12:30 pm no lady had shown up yet. Myself and another intern took the liberty to go around the community with a translator to recruit people for the health camp. Most of the community members were preparing to go for a conference at church, others weren’t comfortable leaving their kids at home without them being watched over. Most of all, it was a rainy stormy day so most people just wanted to stay in. Instead of shutting down the entire health camp, we had some kids who came in and we painted their nails for them. After that, we all sat down to watch a movie. Towards the end we gave them some stuffed animals to play with and they also had some samosa. 

I learned something significant today which was to always make the best out of every situation. Next week we plan to strategize more appropriately for the last health camp to be a huge success.

Revise Your Plans

Today was the date of the second health camp on Women’s Health for the Bhutanese refugee women. For the last week, the interns worked to have a school nurse come speak to the refugees, demonstrate how to do a self-examination for breast cancer, teach about maternal and prenatal care, and host a spa day. We were very prepared for this event, yet when we arrived this morning, we learned that the refugees were at a conference all day and would not be attending the health camp.

Although we were very disappointed to not have the opportunity to engage the refugee women in positive education about their health, our day was not a total loss. Instead of painting nails and giving facials for the grown women, we put nail polish on the little girls hands. Instead of showing slides on women’s health, we put on a children’s movie. The day was not what we expected, but by being flexible we were able to still have a great day.

Closing time

This week at Sewa, I realized that the internship is coming to a close. Time has gone by so fast. As I rapidly work to construct a grant proposal and the design for a refugee acculturation program, I feel gratitude to give back to so many Bhutanese and refugee populations in different capacities. Sewa has allowed me to explore outside-the-box solutions for programs dealing with a beneficiary group that desperately needs assistance. My staff has been very supportive throughout the whole process and as the last few weeks wrap up, I am taking my time getting to know each beneficiary. Overall this week, I got to work on the tasks that will benefit Sewa in the long term and contribute to the daily activities that currently enhance the standard of living for the Bhutanese population.

Reflecting on Today's Camp

   As today was our pilot health camp, we had not a clue as to what kind of a turnout to expect. Merely recruiting a crowd proved to be a feat in an of itself, and it was not soon before long that we became discouraged and our will was ever so slightly diminished. Eventually, once we were joined by two (previously reluctant) women from the community, we immediately gauged their interest. In fact, at one point one of the ladies responded mid-presentation, “Wow, people really need to know this information”, and I think I speak on behalf of the entire public health team when I say that, to me, is a success. By the end of the day, we were able to share vital information on general hygiene and health to a total of nine people who will then go home and relay that information to their families and friends. All in all, I feel very good about our pilot camp, and am looking forward to the upcoming camps with great  anticipation and excitement.

Beginning Computer Literacy Classes

By: Sathvika Ramachandran

This past week, we officially began the computer and literacy classes for the refugees at Los Arcos. I was honestly surprised that the students regularly showed up and came to class. In the past weeks, the students have been coming irregularly, so it was fantastic to see refugees I’ve never seen at my time in Los Arcos at the class. The students were extremely engaged and attentive. I worked with one boy who was deaf in one ear, and it was inspiring to see him try so hard to repeat English phrases. He was seemingly frustrated about not being able to repeat some of the phrases, but me sitting next to him and encouraging him motivated him to continue on with the program. The computer classes are fantastic, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see the students learning so much through this.

July 10, 2014

By: Maria Mercado

This week Sewa had a busy week at the Los Arcos. People lined up quietly carrying their shot records. Mixed expressions of anticipation and curiosity filled the room, waiting for to receive necessary vaccination. On Tuesday Sewa partnered with Children’s Texas held an immunization drive for children under 18. Many children were able to receive free shots at no cost. Initiatives such as these are so important in promoting health in the community. Also the Public Health Team held their first Health Camp, discussing on issues of Hygiene and Nutrition. It was encouraging to see such an interest in health topics from mothers and young adults. Many mothers recognized the importance of nutrition and were excited to see a program that educates on the specifics of adjusting to the lifestyle of America. I thoroughly look forward to the next Health Camp next Thursday that will focus on Women’s Health.

We must Sewa Children

In the profound words of the philosopher Aristotle, people who “educate children are more honored than people who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well.” While his sentiments weren’t intended to undermine the role of parents, Aristotle was accentuating the importance of teachers and educators of children. This week at Sewa, I had the privilege of coordinating and implementing children activities. We organized physical and arts/craft activities for the students. These activities allowed them to express their creative sides along with learning the importance of physical health. While there might be language barriers between the Bhutanese and the Americans, the children aren’t necessarily cognizant of social or economic barriers. Here is one demographic that is universal in its idiosyncrasies and curiosity to absorb information. The refugee children embody the mantra of tabula rasa because they get a fresh start in the land of opportunity. As a Sewa intern, I felt that I played a small but paramount part in facilitating that opportunity.

Our First Public Health Camp

By: Chinelo Edochi

We the public health interns had our first health camp today. The health camp was focused on eating a healthy diet to drinking the right drinks. We also bought cleaning supplies such as vinegar and demonstrated to the attendees on how to clean their houses.Using the vinegar to clean table counter tops, their gas cookers, stoves and bathrooms. Lastly, we directed them on how to use the dishwashers they have in their respective homes. The ladies were so amazed, some of them really appreciated the fact that there was a device to make washing dishes more efficient. I felt that the health camp was very efficient because during the event a lady pointed out that this information was very relevant for the Bhutanese refugees that reside at Los Arcos. They all really seemed interested and receptive to the information we were giving to them. The health camp turned out to be a huge success and we plan for the rest to even go better. We would research for organizations that can come out and talk to the attendees to educate and enlighten them. At the end of this internship it would be of great satisfaction knowing that we were able to have an impact in the health aspect of the Bhutanese refugees.

Never Under-value your work

The mental enervation caused by propagating the cause of nonprofits can be overbearing at times. Luckily at Sewa, our staff always has a positive attitude towards changing the landscape for refugee empowerment. The validation provided by a child who speaks minimal English, yet is dedicated to learn, is truly spectacular. As the SLI program draws to a close, it is paramount to reflect on the value of Sewa tutors on the refugee and immigrant students. While it is impossible to quantify this value, I truly believe that the presence of our tutors eased the tasks of teachers who don’t have the resources to give special attention to every student that demands it. This week at Sewa, I also got to work on grant proposals and develop case studies of the targeted beneficiary. With the amalgamation of my theoretical work and the pragmatic application of those theories, Sewa has provided a work environment conducive to social entrepreneurship. This organization promotes outside-the-box thinking for its interns so they can solve complex problems. I am proud to be a small part of Sewa’s bigger mission.

Children are a Bundle of Joy

By: Chinelo Edochi

The last day tutoring at SLI was the best day for me. I went to two different classes I hadn’t been to since the program started. I hadn’t been in the class for more than five minutes and the children had already opened up to me. They were receptive towards my assistance. They were so outspoken and were very interested in knowing things about me as I was them. SLI ended on Thursday and I was there for their multicultural day event which I was highly anticipating would go smoothly. I looked forward to learning more values and cultural beliefs.

Today was the last day at SLI. There was a multicultural event at the school today. The children had put up different information about their countries and various cultural backgrounds on the diversity wall. They all wore a white shirt which had Summer Language Institute written on it. Two of the high school kids approached me and asked me to sign on their shirts. I really felt accepted by them because of this act. The high school choir students performed and sang beautifully. Some of the high school students were also awarded certificates for their hard work and dedication in school. The teachers and students also entertained the crowd by dancing together to different nations music, there was salsa, azonto and a few others. Lastly, I and two other interns joined in the fun by dancing salsa we entertained the students and teachers with this little presentation as they videoed us.

SLI really taught me a lot. Being of assistance to people especially children has been a wonderful experience. You never know how far a little help or push towards their dreams in life may go. The multicultural day gave me a filling of joy, happiness and tears because it would be the last time I would be seeing the children.

The End of SLI

By: Sathvika Ramachandran

On the last day of SLI, the school held a multi cultural program where the kids showcased their posters for different countries around the world. Being able to see the progress of these students throughout the past month was incredible, and saying goodbye to them today was bittersweet. When the choir sang patriotic, American songs in front of their peers, the fellow interns and I began choking up. The new immigrant children are all so diverse, and yet they still are all united by their desire to learn and make the best of their lives. SLI was a wonderful program, and I learned so much about the new immigrant population.

A Wave and A Smile

She spots me from across the hallway. Meeting my eye, her face spreads into a grin as she waves hello to me. I eagerly do the same and walk over to her. Although she speaks very little English, we are able to hold a basic conversation, full of smiles that convey our excitement to see each other again.

For the first half of the internship, we have been tutoring students in Alief ISD as part of the Summer Language Institute. In spite of being incredibly smart, their limited understanding of the English language results in poor grades and the need for summer school classes. The girl that has just waved to me was in one of the classes I helped tutor.

On the first day I entered her classroom, her teacher pointed her out to me because she needed a lot of help understanding the material. She was sitting in a group with three other girls, and I asked if I could sit with them. They were doing an assignment for their science class. Within minutes of sitting down with the group of girls, I realized that the understood the material perfectly fine. However, due to the additional challenge of knowing particular English words, they were quickly discouraged.

I confess that other than my knowledge of the the basic “Hello, my name is…,” I do not speak Spanish. I helped the girls when they asked me what things meant and tried to ask them questions about themselves. Even though a lot was lost in translation, or the lack thereof, we were able to get to know one another.

The next time I visited their classroom, and each time after that, I was ushered into the room by these young girls. Their excitement to see me was both flattering and surprising because I did not think I was doing much to help them understand. However, by spending as little as an hour with them each time I came to their classroom, I was able to leave an impression on these incredibly bright young girls.

Now that the program has ended, I am saddened that I won’t be greeted by a giant wave across a crowded hallway anymore. Yet even as I write this blog entry, I am smiling because I am so grateful for the opportunity I was given to get to know these students. You never know how you can make a difference in someone’s life. Although I was there to help them learn English, they ended up teaching me (the clichéd but true reality) that we are all capable of helping others be happier, more confident versions of themselves.

July 3, 2014

By: Maria Mercado

Today was a day of mixed sentiments. The students of the Summer Language Institute were celebrating their last day of school with their Cultural Day. I walked into the cafeteria as some of the high school students prepared to perform in front of all the students. My heart melted as I heard their beautiful voices sing patriotic songs such as: “My County, ‘Tis of Thee”, “My Land is Your Land”, and “Deep in the Heart of Texas”. Immigration has laid the foundation of American values and principles, and today I witnessed the culmination of America’s diversity of singing in unison.

To further kindle the fire of emotions, the children of the Dual Language Program performed a song in Spanish about equality. At that moment I could not be prouder to be an American. Eventually I prepared myself to say good-bye to the wonderful students that had opened their heart to me. As I approach the students of the Dual Language program, the children surround me and give a group hug. My heart swelled with happiness knowing that these children could see me has a friend willing to help them in their strive for a brighter future. It’s so true when others tell you that without noticing, we learn so much from those we serve.

I want to personally thank the faculty of Alief’s Summer Institute for welcoming us into their classroom. We at Sewa will truly miss all of you!

Taking a Step Back

Reflecting back on my last internship, it almost took me an entire year to digest and begin to understand and articulate the precious moments that built my experience. These caricatures of time, I’m beginning to realize, are so sociologically rich and serve as evidence of the reason I was initially drawn to the sector of public health. As I write this at the office, headphones disconnecting me from the world around me, it’s easy to forget about the disparity between theory and practice that we experience on the field. For instance, just yesterday during Children’s Activities at Los Arcos we had pleasure of being joined by one of the neighborhood girls, a recent immigrant from Kenya. Now, what theory and speculation suggest is the possibility of disjuncture between the room full of Bhutanese refugee children and the girl from Kenya. In practice? It’s absolutely unfounded. Not merely a single child noticed what would so commonly be dubbed by textbooks as “diversity”. In all honestly, neither did I. In fact, I recall handing her a consent waiver on her way out of the Sewa community center. What an excellent time indeed to be reminded that the work we do, though directly serving the Bhutanese community of a single apartment complex in a large metropolitan area, has immense ripple effects on the community at large.

Stepping Out of Sewa

Three weeks at Sewa has taught me so much about the Bhutanese refugee community. We’ve been able to loosely assess the health needs of those living at Los Arcos, develop programming for health camps, and held the first immunization drive of the summer. But as much as we’ve done in these few weeks, there was a lot that we needed help with.

Our first call was to Epiphany Community Health Outreach Services (E.C.H.O.S.). They worked with last year’s Sewa summer interns, and so we felt that they could be a great resource to us. When we walked into the office, we were greeted by the executive director and given a tour of their facilities. To say that what E.C.H.O.S. does is amazing would be an understatement. They provide so many underserved people with access to health care, health screenings, checkups, and more. In addition, the executive director knows everyone who could be of use to us as public health interns.  We were given names of so many organizations within Houston who provide health services for free or low-cost to underserved communities like those at Los Arcos.

Although the meeting lasted for a little more than an hour, we left armed with so many resources that we could not possibly use them all in our remaining time here. Hopefully when we leave, we will be able to pass on our knowledge to the next group of interns to pick up where we left off. My experience at E.C.H.O.S. demonstrated the power of acknowledging your own weaknesses and gaps in knowledge.

By recognizing what I do not know, I can help find people with the appropriate skills and knowledge to help me learn how to best help the community. Realistically, one person and one organization cannot possibly do everything. By pooling our collective resources, however, we can make a greater impact on the people we do our best to help.

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

By: Sathvika Ramachandran
Yesterday, in the car ride home from the immunization drive, I was hit with this sort of uncomfortable awareness that in the past few weeks of interning, I haven’t yet had the quintessential, social justice-y college student’s realization of “wow, I’m so privileged compared to the people that I serve.” I couldn’t quite figure out how I’ve become so unphased by the refugees, SLI students and the massive disparity between both our circumstances. Instances then started popping up in my head of my inherent impassiveness. In my time at Los Arcos, I spend way more time making the little kids to pick up after their own selves rather than wasting even a second cleaning up after them.

This past Tuesday, one of my SLI students, Jose, couldn’t spit even a simple sentence of English out. I refused to talk to him in Spanish. Instead, I made him go through a laborious process-- I made him do the whole assignment with me in English, then I made him translate the English sentences he created to Spanish, and then I made him read the Spanish sentences out loud in English.

On career day, a little girl from Nigeria acted as our guide and led Alexis and me to different classrooms so we could speak to students about planning for the future. Before we entered one classroom, the girl excitedly pointed at the door and said that this was her class. I asked her if she liked the class, the subject, and the teacher, and she nodded her head to everything. She then told me, “I get made fun of though…”

I asked her, “Why?”

She said, “They make fun of me whenever I answer questions. They make fun of me because I’m black. They don’t like it when I answer questions.”

I told her bluntly, “Haha, that’s stupid. Just answer the questions anyway.” And then I walked into the class to speak.

Only now as I type this, I realize that this was my first encounter with a black child battling racism.

I’m not impassive.

The kids at Los Arcos keep banging on the door and beg us to play, even after we have to physically pick them up and put them outside so they can go home. They all tug at my shirt and pull on my hair, asking me to teach them new clapping games and to listen to their silly stories, worries, and dreams.

When we finished the assignment, Jose grinned and fist bumped into the air. Thirty minutes later, I was walking through the cafeteria to get to the main office, and I saw him in the lunch line. He stopped joking with his clique, stepped out of the line, and came over to hug me.

The little girl from Nigeria told me, “Yes I know. I always work hard.” She smiled, and then proudly opened the door to her classroom for Alexis and me.

I haven’t forgotten the big picture, but I’ve become lost in the details. Instead of being occupied with numbers, statistics, and circumstances, right now, I am fixated on their humanness. And this is why the vast, obvious differences between them and myself has become negligible. I’ve drowned over and over in my own immense love for them, and as a result, I’ve found such peace and happiness. I’m losing myself in helping them, but I’m finding everything that reminds me what it means to be human.

Slowly but surely there will be progress

By: Chinelo Edochi

E.C.H.O.S!!!!!!! Finding about this organization is something I really appreciate and can be highly beneficial to SEWA. E.C.H.O.S (Epiphany Community Health Outreach Services) is a non-profit organization that provides access to health care, education, job training and empowerment to immigrants, refugees or people at risk. They provide these services to people regardless of their culture, race or ethnicity. Yesterday,the other public health interns and myself went to E.C.H.O.S to get more information about their organization. We spoke to Jean Kegler, the executive director, who gave us a run-down of what they do and we also told her what SEWA does. We told her the project we were working on, which consists of three different health camps including nutrition and hygiene, women’s health and tobacco smoking, planned for the refugees at Los Arcos. She gave us great resources such as Juno research, Texas Smiles Dental, Bethel Heavenly Clinic and other resources and organizations we could reach out to. She also offered to help reach out to these organizations to see if we could get them to speak on the various health camps. Something else that got me excited was seeing a friend who worked at E.C.H.O.S that I never thought I would.

The children’s activities at Los Arcos was a huge success as well. It was well structured and very organized. The children were all very creative with the wooden puppets and wooden planes they made. They also paid close attention to rules and regulations that were laid down for them.

We are your support system

My second week at Sewa Houston was filled with purposeful activity and community service initiatives. On Monday, I organized an acculturation assessment questionnaire in order to gauge assimilation disparities between the refugee children and their parents. Sathvika and I met with Rohit, our Refugee Empowerment mentor, and spoke about the refugee empowerment programming carried out by previous interns. We discussed creating an ESL class for the adults that could facilitated into the computer literacy classes. I also presented the acculturation assessment questionnaire to Rohit. We contemplated out loud about the reception of the Bhutanese beneficiary in creating a support-system program where parents and children can openly discuss assimilation issues. On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to give a Career Day presentation to Alief ISD students on the importance of pursuing the higher education. While I felt that high school kids would benefit more from this kind of presentation, I received really positive signals from the students and teachers in the intermediary school. On Wednesday, I was able to implement the acculturation questionnaire and got positive feedback from my first case study. The subject of my first case study was an eleven year old Bhutanese boy born in a Nepali refugee camp. On Thursday, I participated in the immunization drive and assisted the public health team in garnering children. Overall, it was a wonderful second week at Sewa Houston.

A Pleasant Surprise at Los Arcos

“AMA! AMA!”

Under the small protection of the flyers on my head, I tried to keep up with the pace of Sagar, our Nepali translator, as she chased down any woman in sight. We were on a mission: to recruit as many women to join us at our final health camp. Our determination was lighted as we knocked door to door for the second week, advertising the topic of women’s health.

Last week we found ourselves alone in the Sewa apartment as the odds were against with a national convention and unfortunate bad weather dampened our hopes of anyone attending. Therefore, we were grateful as the sun shone high in the sky, encouraging women to come outside. The boundless energy that is packed in Sagar small body  enabled us to reach out to over forty apartments. Many women stopped to listen to her describe the health camps and explain the importance as I silently listened to the dynamic conversations. After thirty minutes of recruitment, we headed back to the apartment hoping to have convinced some women to come.

We waited patiently and suddenly small groups of women climbed up the stairs to the apartment. We were elated to see nine women sitting in the living room intently listening and interacting with Sagar as we presented them with information on mammograms, pap smears, HPV vaccines. In addition, a presentation by a HISD RN emphasized the importance of being active in communicating with the schools about their children’s health.

Toward the end of the session, there was a deeply moving moment in where all the women stated that they were highly interested in participating in our future health camps, because as mothers and grandmothers the know the importance of conserving the family’s health.

This concluded the health camp series for the summer, but as described above, the community at Los Arcos is very willing to participate in future camps. Honestly I can say that I had a pleasant surprise at Los Arcos as saw more than double of expected attendees walking down the stairs of the apartment.

Sagar informing women of importance of mammograms

The Hustle

Hello Sewanites! This week was an exciting beginning for all the interns as we began our various projects. On Monday, we got to meet the LEAD Houston high school interns who volunteer with SEWA as well. We worked on the children’s activities with the LEAD interns by sharing our ideas on what activities to have with the children at Los Arcos. We decided to get to know them by playing the name tag game and making cube boxes with different information about them. We made a food pyramid that they would have to stick the different classes of food on them. The LEAD interns were wonderful people to work with and were very efficient and competent.

        Working with the students at ALIEF ISD has been a wonderful experience. They are quite comfortable asking for assistance and are eager to learn. Tutoring them gives me so much joy knowing that I can leave an impact, which would direct them towards the right path in life. On Thursday, Texas Children’s Hospital had an immunization drive at ALIEF ISD. The GIH interns, LEAD Houston interns and the Americorps Vista all volunteered at this event. We had to get the children from their various classrooms and direct them to the rooms were they would be getting immunized. I found this drive very interesting and purposeful.

        Lastly, the public health interns came up with three health camp topics we could engage the people at Los Arcos. Nutrition and hygiene, women’s health and tobacco smoking were the three topics we came up with. We feel that implementing this would really make the refugees aware of their lifestyles and how to live a healthier one.

Thinking Forward

It’s nearly impossible for me to begin to wrap my head around where the minutes, hours, and days have been slipping to with the close of our third week at Sewa. Already the other interns and I have combined heads to envision a plan of execution for the activities and research we intend to carry out for the remainder of internship. The most daunting task of all, I think, is to ensure that all our programming and efforts will prove to be sustainable even after our time here. There’s no way to tell just how our plans may pan out after our departure-- or even over the next couple of weeks. However, it is my utmost priority to ensure that we strive within all our means to create programming that the Bhutanese community is genuinely interested in having made available to them, to widely include the community in all aspects of the project development, and finally that we set-up the framework and infrastructure for our plans to further develop and thrive sans our presence. 

I want our time here to reflect less of a “legacy” and more of a growing conscious for an under served community. The work that Sewa is doing is particularly novel in the sense that it as an organization is growing alongside the community, catering to its needs as it changes and fluctuates over the years. Though our time here with Sewa merely feels like minutes, I have faith the work that we will have conducted in this time will contribute to the evolving relationship Sewa has established with the community.

First Experience with SEWA

Having recently begun my summer internship at SEWA International, I've immediately immersed myself in Houston’s international community as well as used my internship as a compliment to what I’m studying in college-- International Relations and Psychology. These past two weeks alone have enabled me to see the real-world, practical aspects of what I have spent the past two semesters studying in a classroom.

When we went to Los Arcos, the apartment complex that houses the Bhutanese refugees, I was initially nervous; likewise, the refugees were shy when meeting us and didn't give us much attention. However, when we came back the second day, all us interns were thrust into this community and we grew fond of the people we were serving. Programs that I began developing in the office showed its true purpose when I interacted with the people that these projects would benefit. Between surveying the complex and talking to families, I sat in a computer class and helped a man who had never seen a computer in his life learn how to turn the power button on and how to click a mouse. I gave him a high five, and he smiled after he completed each level. This one to one interaction clearly motivated him to continue learning as well as slowly develop confidence that would enable him to succeed in the future.

Soon, the other interns and I began playing with the children. They ran around us in circles, begging us to play with them. One of the girls, Ashika, kept tugging on my shirt and asking me to follow her. In this moment, I realized that despite the unimaginable strife these kids experienced in they all had big dreams and even bigger hearts. Knowing that they've inevitably been cut short of opportunities due to their circumstances gave me all the more motivation to continue giving them my time, energy and support throughout this summer.

Every day, I find myself eager to start working. Being from Houston myself, I am emotionally connected to these experiences and people, and I feel obligated to give something back to the city that raised me. I’m thrilled to continue working at SEWA and even more determined to contribute something to the Bhutanese refugees.

Getting Inspired

The name of this internship is “Get Inspired Houston,” commonly referred to as GIH among the interns. However, until this week I didn’t realize that inspiration can come from the most ordinary situations. 

This week at Los Arcos, we held the first week of children’s activities for the Bhutanese children living in the community. After rounding up the kids from the apartments, we began the activities by having the kids make name tags for themselves. I noticed that one of the little girls was not writing anything down, and she did not speak to anyone. 

After a few minutes, she whispered something into her friend’s ear, but still did not speak to anyone else or pick up the crayons. All of the interns kept showing her what to do and tried to make her feel included, but she would shake her head “no” and watch her friend play. 

Our second activity was to make cubes out of paper, with the children coloring each square and writing something on it that describes them. Again, I tried to help the little girl color her paper, but she didn't seem to want to do it. Another girl who is a few years older came over to us and told me in English that when she first moved to America, she did not talk much either. She told me that the little girl I was playing with was probably just too nervous to speak or draw. 

After learning this, I understood the little girl’s behavior much more and wanted to help her feel comfortable. I wanted her to understand that what she was making was going to be a cube. I folded her paper into the correct shape, taped it for her, then tossed it up into the air. ...At last, she understood what I had been saying. A big smile spread across her face as she took the cube from my hands and began to toss it herself. Eventually, we started a game together where we would throw it back and forth. She even began to speak to me a little, even though she doesn’t know English.

After that day, I realized that patience is key to making positive change. Whether it is simply being patient when doing activities with children, or being patient implementing health programs for the refugee community, it takes time to make a difference.

Thinking Forward

There are but few things Millennials can share sentiment on—undoubtedly, of those being “real world” anxieties. As a rising senior at Smith College, the stress of moving back home for the first time in three years, learning how to brace Houston traffic again, and readjusting to a Texas lifestyle were merely petty in the face of starting at a new internship. However, my fears were quickly proven to be irrelevant when I was greeted with such warm energy and compassion for the cause upon my orientation with Sewa. Sewa, a non-profit grassroots NGO, works towards providing long-term assistance to Bhutanese refugees in the greater Houston area.  As a summer intern, my projects are focused in the Public Health sector where I, along with three other interns, will be collaborating on projects ranging from immunization clinics, women’s health camps, and surveying the community for health risks and needs.

This week, we were given the opportunity to read through the past interns’ end-of-term reports and also work in the community on-site at Los Arcos apartment complex.  I originally had my precautions about entering a space without being too culturally intrusive, but I was soon to learn how keen the refugees from Bhutan were to learn our names and practice their English on us. In the upcoming weeks, I hope to have more dialogue with the refugees and gain insight into their individual experiences. I’m incredibly excited to be working with the community and build the framework for sustainable projects with my fellow interns. Stay tuned for more updates on my intern journey!