Announcement
Kansas Governor, Laura Kelly recently signed a proclamation honoring the work of Kansas refugee resettlement agencies and celebrating Kansas’ immigrant heritage. The proclamation declares June 20 “World Refugee Day in Kansas.” The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) began designating June 20 as ‘World Refugee Day’ to bring attention to the plight of refugees world-wide back in 2000.
It is impossible to think about Kansas without acknowledging the role of immigrants in shaping our communities. What would south east Kansas be like without Italians? Or Ellis County without Volga Germans? A lasting presence of Mennonites, Czechs, Lebanese, Mexicans and other religious and national groups have contributed immeasurably to the rich cultural, social and economic fabric of Kansas and Wichita.
In 2011, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) opened a refugee resettlement office in Wichita. In partnership with the federal government and with strong support from the local community, more than 1,000 refugees now call Wichita home. More than half are women or girls, more than half are children. A sizeable minority are Afghan SIVs—Special Immigrant Visa holders, who worked for the US military or intelligence in Afghanistan and were promised protection by the US in exchange for their help. The IRC in Wichita continues to lead the way from harm to home.
Refugees come with nothing but what they can carry and within six months of arrival 85% of adults are employed, self-sufficient, and making payments on their travel loans, thanks to a rigorous program of English language training, cultural orientation and job skills training. Refugees transform themselves into citizens who support themselves and their community. Much of this is a credit to IRC’s staff, but we couldn’t do it without significant community support and contributions.
Those who attended the proclamation signing ceremony included Amy Longa, Michele Green, Dorcas Nsimire, and Harold Schlechtweg for the IRC; Annette Kazungu, Angela Smith, and Masemo Wakibogo for Saint Francis Ministries; and Kasey Featherstone, Tracy Forebush and Aung Ki for Northeast Catholic Charities.
