Frequently Asked Questions • How Can You Help? • History of the Somali Bantu
Who are the Somali Bantu?
The
Somali Bantu are descended from six African tribes originally living in
what are now Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi in East Africa. In the 1700's
and 1800's Arab slave traders armed with muskets and whips plundered these
regions. They captured untold numbers of men, women, and children to be
sold on the Zanzibar slave market and shipped to the Persian Gulf and
the Middle East. The enslavement of some Somali Bantu continued into the
1930's but oppression discrimination and persecution continues to the
present.
Why are they coming to the United States?
Because they have nowhere else to go! Because of persecution and violence, they cannot return to Somalia with any reasonable expectation of a life of freedom and security. Kenya will not allow them to remain long-term in their country. Other neighboring African countries will not allow them to settle there. They are a people without a country. The United States has agreed to take 12,000 Somali Bantu as part of our nation's ongoing humanitarian refugee resettlement program. They will be resettled in one of fifty sites across the nation.
How many are coming to South Carolina and when will they arrive?
South Carolina will soon become home to 120 Somali Bantu refugees. The Somali Bantu are now living in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya after fleeing ethnic persecution in Somalia. The latest information from the Department of State is that they will begin arriving in South Carolina in February 2004 and will continue to arrive in small groups throughout the year. The plan is to resettle them in two cluster sites in two separate school districts in Columbia, SC.
Who is bringing them here?
The resettlement effort in South Carolina is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of State, Lutherans, Southern Baptists, Presbyterians, United Methodists, American Baptists, the Christian Church Disciples of Christ, Episcopalians and Roman Catholics through partnership with the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and the Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program. Lutheran Family Services is the designated representative in South Carolina of the refugee resettlement concerns of these denominations and will be organizing and overseeing the resettlement in SC. LFS has a special agreement with the US Catholic Conference's Migration and Refugee Service and with the Diocese of Charleston to involve Roman Catholic congregations. LFS also has a similar arrangement with Episcopal Migration Ministries and the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina to involve Episcopal congregations.
Why was South Carolina chosen as one of the resettlement sites?
Lutheran Family Services submitted a proposal to become a resettlement site. We were chosen because 1) the faith community has demonstrated an openness and receptiveness to sponsoring refugees in the past, 2) Housing is affordable here, and 3) there are abundant entry-level jobs not requiring English.
Where will they live?
They will be resettled in approximately equal numbers in two cluster sites in the Columbia area. One cluster site is in Richland School District One and the other is in Richland School District Two.
How were the cluster sites chosen?
The apartment
communities where they will be housed were chosen based on: 1) Affordability.
Low-cost housing is an essential key to their early independence and economic
self-sufficiency. 2) Proximity to a bus line. Access to public transportation
is essential to their independence. 3) Low crime rate. It is difficult
to find housing that is both low-income and in a low-crime area. 4) Proximity
to essential services and employment opportunities. 5) Openness of owners
and resident managers to assist the Somali Bantu. 6) Proximity of churches
affiliated with denominations that have an active refugee resettlement
program.
Where are they now?
The Somali Bantu are now living in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya after fleeing ethnic persecution in Somalia. They will remain there until final processing into the United States.
What is their religion?
They are Muslims but they also practice some aspects of African Traditional Religion (animism). A small number of them (less than 1%) are Christians.
Do They Speak English?
A small number have acquired very basic English conversation skills but most do not speak English. Most speak Somali (a dialect called Af Maay), Zigua and Swahili. Most of them do not read or write any language. Lutheran Family Services will enroll them in English classes.
How do we know they are not terrorists?
Because they have been screened extensively by the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly the INS). Refugees undergo a more rigorous security screening than any other immigrant population. This screening is even stricter since September 11. No refugee has been involved in any terrorist attack on our nation. They are fleeing terror, not bringing it with them.
Who will support them?
Lutheran Family Services, sponsoring faith groups and concerned individuals will support them until we can find them jobs. Refugees are required to go to work immediately upon arrival. They pay property taxes, sales taxes and income taxes just like American citizens do.
What are the major challenges of this resettlement project?
The Somali Bantu represent a unique resettlement challenge for several reasons. They have suffered centuries of marginalization and oppression and most recently they have been brutalized and traumatized by the civil war in Somalia. They have also had little or no experience in modem society. Many will have never seen or used modem conveniences such as electric stoves, refrigerators or indoor plumbing. They are largely uneducated and most of them cannot read or write their own language. Lack of English language skills will make employment difficult and will require intensive ESL instruction in the initial resettlement period. Because they were relegated to menial, unskilled tasks they will come with very few marketable job skills. Health needs will also be extensive with malnutrition, worms, and intestinal conditions common. In addition to physical conditions, because they were subjected to violence, rapes and the killing of loved ones, many will suffer from post-traumatic stress, nightmares and flashbacks. Their health practices are primitive by western standards with practices such as cupping, burning, herbal treatments and female circumcision being common. Females marry very young in Bantu culture. Many females will arrive pregnant and girls in their early teens may already have children. These challenges are not insurmountable. With patience, dedication, and compassion, we can offer healing and hope to the Somali Bantu and their children. Their darkest days will be behind them and a bright new day will dawn in their lives. What a rich opportunity we have to walk with them into that future. We invite you to Come, Walk With Us, and with our Somali Bantu friends, as we offer them new life.
