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African Newcomers Orientation (ANO)
Submitted by programs4africa on Fri, 2011-07-15 12:15
From Small Beginnings Comes Great Things
Purpose
The goal of ANO is to assist new African immigrant women in creating a network of support as they transitions to life in her new home and community. ANO will establish a network of contacts and communities for African women who arrive in the United States for the first time and familiarize them with cultural practices, the financial system, and the health care system. ANO will also help newly arrived African women locate and be integrated into their native communities within the United States, while providing services that will help offer solutions to any problems related to the transition process. Finally, ANO will assist new African immigrant women as they become contributors to the US economy and civil society.
Problem
The African immigrant population in the United States is a small but rapidly growing demographic. Nearly half of the new immigrants are women and they have a significant impact on family formation, child rearing, and community building in their new communities. African immigrants face numerous challenges on arrival in the United States. While African-born adults are more likely than the native born to have a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education, more African born are likely to live in poverty than the native born and the foreign born overall. Mitigating factors include lack of cultural capital and limited English proficiency (50% of African immigrants reported limited English proficiency in 2009). Through ANO’s personalized service, new African immigrant women will be able to obtain the services and information that they will need to make the right choices for themselves and their families.
process
ANO will match the new immigrant woman with a volunteer from her own ethnic community in her new hometown. The volunteer, having been an immigrant, would have experienced some of the same challenges that the Newcomer will face in the coming months. When required, the Newcomer and her family can also get a ride from the airport when she arrives for the first time to the United States.
The volunteer will meet with the Newcomer in person at least three times within the first three months of arrival of the Newcomer to the United States. During these meetings, the volunteer will provide the Newcomer with information on matters that assist the Newcomer in finding resources that are needed by the Newcomer and her family, i.e. access to schools, assistance with preparing for a job interview, information about English language classes, assistance with opening a bank account, access to immigration services, etc.
participants
· New African immigrant women with the personal attention provided by the a cadre of volunteers recruited from the African diaspora in the United States;
· African immigrants who have been in the country for a few years, through our website, and a telephone hotline which can be used to ask for information about resources.
· Any immigrant who is looking for information about resources available to immigrants, through our website, and a telephone hotline which can be used to ask for information about resources
length
Each ANO volunteer will stay in contact with the Newcomer for a minimum period of three months, and up to a year. The Newcomer will eventually transition to contacting ANO directly for any resources they may be looking for.
