PRIORITY PROGRAM AREAS IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA

CCRI is presently pursuing the development of programs to assist Sudanese families in the areas of child care, family/community development, and infrastructure/capacity building.

• Child Care
  Child care or day care issues are currently being clarified. Community programs are available to address these needs, however, Sudanese families may not be aware of the programs, the programs may not be working effectively, or, possibly, money is a limiting factor. Many existing day care centers have high costs and most Sudanese families may not quality for Title XX subsidies if both parents work outside the home. In fact, if both parents work or go to school, the need for child care can increase. CCRI is looking into ways to facilitate a formal way of taking care of children, while possibly developing income sources for Sudanese women who are interested in operating day care centers. Possible projects include training women, establishing agreements, and developing structured programs.

• Family/Community Development
  There are three central goals that CCRI has established in the area of family and community development. The first goal is to empower Sudanese immigrant families and communities in Omaha to take control of education and social wellbeing of children. The second goal is to develop a community-based model/response to the education of Sudanese immigrant children, which incorporates cultural and communal values that encourage community responsibility for, and rewards, educational achievement and success of children. The third goal is to develop community support throughout Omaha to establish a Sudanese Community Center that serves all Sudanese organizations in Omaha.

  A critical issue that CCRI recognizes needs to be addressed is parental involvement at different levels and stages of education (elementary, middle, and high school). Each stage presents different challenges for children and parents; there are also different sets of expectations that the schools place on parents. As such, it is important to identify these in order to develop effective programs. It is equally important to understand how information is communicated to newly arrived parents who want to place students in the school system, but may not be familiar with U.S. school systems. This also affects how parents understand their new role in the U.S. educational system.

  Parents must understand the differences between the previous educational systems their children have experienced and those in the United States, especially those in Nebraska. Both individual families and the broader Sudanese immigrant community need to develop mechanisms for encouraging and supporting academic excellence among students. We are interested in figuring out what kinds of supplementary education programs and community resources need to be developed, so that individual families can draw on them. This also means figuring out what kinds of strategies and resources are currently being used among Sudanese immigrant families.

  Youth programs, after school programs, tutoring/mentoring, community forums, workshops, and Sudanese cultural programs are some of the potential projects CCRI is pursuing to establish in Omaha. All of the above programs could be held in the Sudanese Community Center once it is established.

• Women's Mental Health
  The health and well-being of Sudanese women is a priority issue for CCRI. Through the work of its parent organization, Sudanese Evangelical Lutheran Church, it has become evident that the number of Sudanese women who suffer from anxiety and, in some cases, severe depression, is on the rise. These women often struggle with issues experienced by refugee populations - difficulties in resettlement, dislocation and separation from family and support systems, social isolation and low socioeconomic status in the United States. Additionally, a vast majority of Sudanese refugees have suffered huge losses from the war in Sudan including the loss of a significant number of relatives, friends and other relations. Women are particularly vulnerable considering they are generally afforded fewer opportunities to form relationships outside the household due to domestic responsibilities. In 2004, CCRI will be an implementing partner in the Sudanese Women's Mental Health Initiative, which is made possible by grants awarded to CCLC from the State of Nebraska and the Omaha Community Foundation. CCRI will actively pursue funding in 2004 and 2005 for expanding and strengthening this initiative.