Dear friends, As we watched the dreadful news out of Afghanistan, I am having many conversations with our community members, some of whom came to the U.S. as refugees after previous conflicts. Indeed, ReWA was founded by Southeast Asian women who suffered in isolation after coming the US, and vowed that future refugees to the Puget Sound would have a…
It’s 5pm on Wednesday and faces start to appear on the computer screen. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased social isolation for almost everyone, so Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA) has moved ESL classes online. Since February 2021, a group of volunteers and ESL teachers have launched a new weekly online conversation circle called “Talk Time”. It gives refugee-students—many of whom are…
“Vacuuming children”–is that a mistake in English vocabulary or a practical solution to messy kids? Angela is a stay-at home mom of three, metal artist (pictured left in the workshop) and has been volunteering as a teacher’s aide at ReWA for eight years. When asked for an anecdote from the classroom, she recalled this line. “We were discussing New Year’s…
Have you ever wondered what an online Citizenship class looks like? It’s part history lesson, conversation practice and quiz show, where students are asked: “Who signed the Emancipation Proclamation?” “Who started the first free libraries?” “What was the Civil War fought over?”* Last year, ReWA’s citizenship classes moved online. In late 2020, thanks to a USCIS grant ReWA doubled their…
When ReWA moved into SeaTac CityHall back in 2019, Liban (pronounced “LEE-ban”) stopped by the Open House to say hello. He said, “I used to be in the youth program, and now I work full time for the city.” An Information Systems Technician, Liban, helps keep the city’s IT infrastructure operating and provides friendly customer service to City workers. When…