By Lauren Ober
Free Press Staff Writer

August 6, 2006
Jacob Bogre and Jean-Marie Mujakazi understand the difficulties of immigrating to the United States. Everything is different, from the way children are raised to the rules of the road.

Navigating this new country can be scary and even dangerous for those unfamiliar with American laws and cultural mores. Through the Association of Africans Living in Vermont, Bogre, the president of the organization, and Mujakazi, an outreach worker, seek to smooth the path for recent immigrants so that they can fully take advantage of what the United States has to offer.

The AALV, which serves about 1,000 relocated Africans in Vermont, hosted a community awareness workshop Saturday at City Hall to help the African refugee community become more acclimated to life, and the laws, in Vermont.

"They need to follow regulations. We want people to be aware of that," Bogre said.But before new residents can follow the regulations, they need to understand what those regulations are. During the day-long workshop, AALV presented speakers involved in child services, law enforcement, traffic safety and immigration law in hopes of providing immigrants with a solid foundation in American society.

The four main topics were selected because they are the issues that most confound new residents, Bogre said. During the workshops AALV clients from Somalia, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Uganda and beyond received primers on issues such as domestic violence, child abuse, road rules and deportation. The workshops were translated simultaneously into French, Swahili -- an East African language -- and Mai Mai, a Somali language,

Refugees are often faced with instances in which their behavior, which may have been acceptable in their home countries, might be inappropriate here. Bogre gives the example of African parents leaving their children with neighbors or disciplining someone else's child. A tightly-knit village mentality that might benefit children in Africa could be misconstrued or even dangerous here, Bogre said.

"We want to create a strong, safe community. Parents need to be responsible," Bogre said.

Winooski police chief Steve McQueen, who conducted a seminar on domestic violence for the group, told participants that traditional African views of the place of men and women in society often need to be adjusted. McQueen has done much of this type of outreach since Winooski is home to a large immigrant population.

"We have to stress that it's not ok to hurt your wife just because she's your wife. Or just because an elder says it's ok, doesn't mean it is," McQueen said. "The message is that domestic violence is not acceptable here and it's not healthy for the children or the families."

John Salter of the Department of Children and Families encouraged parents to speak with their children about issues such as sex and their bodies. He said an open dialogue teaches children that "they can talk to you about anything, anytime," and can help prevent child abuse or neglect.

Bogre and Mujakazi said they hope their workshop will help new African immigrants feel more comfortable in their surroundings as well as have fewer legal and social problems.

"We all have to start somewhere," Mujakazi said.
Have a question, comment, story idea? Contact Lauren Ober at 660-1868 or lober@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com