Twice a week, Messiah Lutheran is the site
of AAIM's Refugee School. Mondays & Wednesdays - 6 PM
AAIM holds English as a Second Language (ESL)
classes for legally documented adult refugees. The United States
resettles refugees from different
countries every year.
In
2009, most refugees came from Iraq,
Iran, Bhutan, Burma,
Congo, Somalia and Cuba. The Refugee School aims to
equip
refugees with basic survival English skills as well as provide them
with cultural and social information that will assist them in
assimilating into their new environment. An important function of the
ESL classes is to offer a friendly, supportive, first community for the
newly arrived refugees. This inclusive environment allows them to
acculturate to their new life in Austin.
Imagine being dropped in the middle of a busy
street in downtown Kinshasa, Congo or in Bangkok, Thailand. People are
dressed strangely, talking in a
language you don't understand, going about their daily lives. Now
imagine you have to find a job, register your children in school, buy
groceries, open a bank account - all the basics of establishing a
normal life. How would you manage without speaking the language? Now
think
of the reverse. Imagine someone from country culturally different
from the USA suddenly finding herself in Austin (with limited knowledge
about what to expect and with about 3-6 months to become financially
independent and self sufficient) This is exactly the situation with
most refugees.