SEWAaaaat?!

Positive change is a byproduct of competently utilized effort and unwavering dedication to the transformation of the status quo. When I first walked into the Sewa office and got acquainted with the staff, it was quite apparent that the foundation for facilitating the positive change necessary to ameliorate the standard of living of Bhutanese refugees had already been set.

My first week in Sewa was filled with orientations and acclimating to the SLI and Los Arcos initiatives. The SLI tutorial program allowed me to engage with a younger demographic of refugees and immigrants struggling with language barriers. Through hands-on tutelage and basic trial and error, I was able to gauge effective ways to communicate with all relevant stakeholders (teachers, students, administrators). While some teachers were blatantly uncomfortable by having another adult presence in their classroom, the majority of them were extremely welcoming and appreciative for our assistance.

Volunteering at the Los Arcos Apartments was extremely gratifying and provided a crucial insight to the plights and dispositions of Sewa’s Bhutanese beneficiaries. While some of the interns were setting up the registration process, I was able to have direct contact with one of the Bhutanese boys that grew up in a Nepalese refugee camp. He wasn’t timid at all about sharing his experiences in the refugee camp and his high level of cognizance about his own family’s socio economic status was truly astonishing. We discussed his future plans and I presented college as a feasible alternative to immediately entering the work force. The boy was very intuitive and started asking questions about the requisites to pursue higher education. Overall, my first week at Sewa was extremely fulfilling and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to serve this nonprofit.