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.