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Visit to Accra, Ghana, Helps Affiliate Staff Better Understand Refugees' Experience
John Javed and Kimberly Cooper (far left) and Elizabeth Smith (far right) with refugees.
Photo: OPE/Accra
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By Carol Fouke-Mpoyo
From the prescreening interview through the cultural orientation class and all that lies in-between, getting refugees on their way to resettlement in the United States "takes a tremendous amount of coordination and grit."
So observed Elizabeth Smith, Sponsorship Developer for PARA Refugee Services in Grand Rapids, Mich., who was among five Church World Service affiliate staff to visit the CWS Overseas Processing Entity (OPE) in Accra, Ghana, Sept. 30-Oct. 7.
CWS periodically arranges visits to overseas refugee locations for affiliate staff to give them an opportunity to better understand regional refugee situations and refugee case processing operations -- including how refugees get into the U.S. Refugee Program and what they experience before boarding their flights to the United States.
Carol Roxburgh, Chief Executive Officer of Refugee Services of Texas (RST), Dallas, staffed the trip on behalf of CWS. Also traveling were Rev. Donna Buckles, Sponsorship Developer for Lutheran Social Ministry of the Southwest in Phoenix, Arizona; Kimberly Cooper, Director of RST's Fort Worth Sub-Office, and John Javed, Program Coordinator for the Virginia Council of Churches Refugee Resettlement Program in Richmond.
"The staff at OPE were tremendous," Roxburgh said. "They were very welcoming and gracious." The visitors observed all aspects of the OPE's work, including case creation, prescreening, assurances, travel packeting, orientation to U.S. culture, and more.
They also visited Buduburam Refugee Camp, and met with staff of the UNHCR (the United Nations' refugee agency), International Organization for Migration, and American Embassy to get a sense of their roles in recognizing and protecting refugees, conducting security and health screenings, and arranging their travel to the United States.
"The refugee interview process is very thorough," Buckles commented. "The OPE staff treat the refugees with kindness and respect. But it is a long, difficult process for the refugees and their children."
"They have many hours of waiting and then are asked the same questions by three different interviewers. It requires a lot of patience on everyone's part to get all of the facts as correctly as possible and to have the documentation ready for the immigration officers."
Javed noted, "For many, overseas refugee processing is a very confusing process to understand. The information gained from our visit will enable me to discuss the overall refugee situation in West Africa with much more authority and accuracy."
 Elizabeth Smith (left) and Carol Roxburgh (right) present an award to OPE/Accra Representative Emily Russ. Photo: OPE/Accra
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Making a particular impression on the group was OPE's Cultural Orientation program, whose "content and quality far exceeded my expectations," Buckles said. "The teacher was very enthusiastic and engaged the refugees, who seemed very excited to learn about America."
"U.S. churches usually ask what refugees are told about life in America," she added. "Now I have an answer for them!"
Affiliate staff accepted for the trip committed to making presentations to local churches and community groups during the coming year.
"I'll be including the impressions that I got from walking through a refugee camp -- the dirt, the heat, the trash, the lack of running water, and the stench of open sewers -- as well as the ability refugees have to make the best out of a horrible situation," Smith said.
"Seeing children in a class that would be considered so well below our standards and seeing the teacher teach with so few resources gave me greater insight into the depth of the resilience of the human spirit."
"I already have been able to share pictures and stories of Buduburam Refugee Camp with a church and a high school," Buckles said. "Because now I have seen it with my own eyes, it becomes more realistic for those listening. When I tell them that Buduburam is one of the best refugee camps in Africa, it helps them understand the life of refugees in other camps."
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