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About The mission of the Somali Bantu Community Association (SBCA) of Onondaga County is
to provide orientations for the new arrivals to life in the United States; to promote Somali Bantu cultural programs;
and to promote programs directed to assisting and aiding the Bantu community in and around Onondaga County, New York.
The SBCA aims to assist those in the Somali Bantu community to attain the necessary skills, language competency, and resources
to become productive members of American society. Annually, the SBCA serves
over 500 individuals, including 95 families. Our programs serve the Somali Bantu and non-Somali Bantu people in Syracuse.
Our board, staff, and volunteers are a mix of Somali Bantu and non-Somali Bantu people. Children are highly valued in our culture and this is reflected
in our large families; most of us have one to twelve children. It does indeed take a whole village to raise a child and all
community members take responsibility for supervising children in a good manner. History Education for our children
is viewed as a high priority because there were no schools in our residential areas in Somalia. Access to education for the
Somali Bantu was restricted and therefore many adults are illiterate. Access
to education has been difficult due to the prejudices that have existed both in Somalia and the refugee camps. We struggled
and advocated for our children and were successful in ensuring our children’s right to an education. Now, in the United
States, we no longer have the same problems we had in Somalia and the refugee camps. The Somali Bantu students are English language learners with
limited or interrupted schooling before coming to the United States. The Somali Bantu students who have not previously attended
school have difficulty adapting to the curriculum. They are placed in classes with their same-age peers rather than based
on previous educational experiences. The Somali Bantu students have not been identified to receive language transition support
services even though they have not met English mastery criteria. In 2007, the SBCA in Syracuse started English as a Second
Language (ESL) classes for children and adults, focusing on reading, writing, speaking, and interpretation skills, in order
to supplement the five day school week. In the beginning, students and tutors met on Saturday mornings in the living room
of a Somali Bantu Community Leader. Since 2008, the Syracuse City School District (SCSD), by
request from the city, has generously hosted the Somali-Bantu Community-Based Tutoring Program at Dr. King Elementary School,
close to where most of the Somali Bantus live. More than 100 children and adults attend the Saturday tutoring program. The
SBCA provides 12 bilingual volunteer tutors/interpreters, two tutoring aides, and 12 volunteer drivers to transport students
back and forth from their homes to the school. Partnerships African Student’s Union, Syracuse University The African Student's Union
(ASU) is an organization serving Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF that promotes and develops fellowship among African students
and cultivates in them the spirit of service in public interest. We seek to build strong bonds between other minority organizations
at SU and SUNY - ESF and work to increase the awareness of African students' interest and concerns about issues on the continent
as well as in the Diaspora. ASU has been working with the Somali-Bantu Community Saturday
Program since the fall of 2008. The volunteers who come through ASU work with children ranging anywhere between Pre- K and
third grade. We believe that it is vital for the students attending the program to see university students who are from the
same place as them or may have had similar experiences as them. Many tutors are immigrants to the United States and like most
of the students, English is not their first language. The tutors really work toward providing the children with academic support
outside of the classroom and have proven to be excellent role models to the students. “I choose to tutor these kids because
I feel that every child should have a positive role model in their life. Some of these kids may have left their older siblings
at home (in Africa) so I get the opportunity to fill that void and be another constant in their lives. I also was
a refugee when I moved here and I know how valuable it is to have someone who encourages you in that rough transition. I do
it because it makes a difference and there is nothing more rewarding than seeing their smiling faces and getting their
hugs even at 8am in the morning!” Carine
Umuhumuza, ASU Tutor Magazine
Journalism and African American Studies, Class of 2011 International Young Scholars, Office
of Engagement Programs at Hendricks Chapel International Young
Scholars (IYS) supports the educational achievement of teenage refugee and immigrant youth and seeks to instill within them
the belief that college is attainable. Currently, the Office of Engagement Programs has partnerships with the Somali Bantu
Community Organization and Fowler High School. SU mentors meet weekly with students - in both one-on-one
and small group environments - and provide homework and educational assistance. Mentors are also involved in planning extracurricular
activities and designing outings that connect students to campus and the Syracuse community (http://hendricks.syr.edu/engagement/scholars/).
IYS works with Somali Bantu students in grades 7-12, both at the Saturday program, as well
as Monday and Thursday evenings. “IYS has been by far the most rewarding activity
that I have been involved in since coming to SU.” Maggie Griffiths, IYS Mentor International
Relations and Spanish, Class of 2011 “The
youth are so captivated and interested in learning that it makes me feel guilty for being tired when I first arrive to the
program on Saturday mornings. The fact that these kids are waking up early and taking time on the weekends when they
could be resting is so inspiring and eye-opening, that no caffeine could wake me up better. I am so thankful and blessed to have worked with such amazing youth. This experience has been very emotional, but very intriguing and uplifting at the same time. I couldn't have asked for a better mentee… or asked for such wonderful friendships with other beautiful people who find their way to me or vice-versa. This past semester has showed me so much and I'm so sad that it is winding down. I can't wait to come back next year though and continuing building on these inspiring friendships.” Michelle Tarshus, IYS MentorInformation Management and Technology, Class of 2013 School of Education, Syracuse
University Dr. Zaline Roy-Campbell, professor and Director of the Teaching
English Language Learners program from the School of Education, has partnered with the SBCA, working specifically with students
in grades K-3. There has also been support from several education majors, as this program provides tutoring experience at
a flexible time, as well as a unique experience working with English language learners (http://soe.syr.edu/). Syracuse University Literacy Corps, The Mary
Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service (CPCS) The SU Literacy Corps (SULC) is a program developed in response to former President Clinton's "America Reads Challenge" that encouraged community members
to get involved with mentoring and tutoring young children to improve literacy. Clinton specifically called upon students
at colleges and universities to help with the challenge. The SULC mobilizes nearly 300 SU student tutors, providing literacy
support to 25 schools and 18 after school programs in the Syracuse area during both academic year and summer programs
(http://students.syr.edu/cpcs/lc.html). At the Somali-Bantu
Community-Based Tutoring Program on Saturday mornings, the SULC works with students in grades 4-6, providing 12-16 tutors
each semester to work with students in small groups. The curriculum is coordinated by three-to- four Literacy Interns from
CPCS. "Working with the Somali Bantu program has provided me with a unique opportunity to learn
more than I teach. The children welcome you with their bright, brilliant smiles and inspire you with their hard
work and willingness to learn. I have discovered a deeper meaning and developed a greater understanding
of the relationship between education and community. We as a community are fortunate to have such dedication
to the future of Syracuse." Sean Moore, SULC Tutor Psychology/Middle
Eastern Studies/International Relations, Class of 2012 Syracuse City School District (SCSD) The
SCSD provides support in various forms, including the site and basic supplies for students. We are particularly grateful for
the assistance and continued support of the ESL and Bilingual Education Department (http://www.syracusecityschools.com/). Community
Outreach & Global Health Education (COGHE), SUNY Upstate Medical University COGHE serves as a resource for students interested in becoming more involved in the Syracuse community.
We organize and facilitate local volunteer and educational opportunities for SUNY Upstate students at schools, clinics, and
other community organizations. These outreach activities in the many diverse neighborhoods of Syracuse allow students
to gain insight into a spectrum of socioeconomic and cross-cultural parameters that may impact the patient population that
they treat (http://www.upstate.edu/currentstudents/academic/outreach/). For many years now, Upstate students have organized
health fairs and nutritional programs, mentored students in reading and afterschool programs, and organized a science fair
at Martin Luther King Elementary School. SUNY Upstate students have greatly enjoyed this long standing collaboration and are
always looking for more ways to get involved. This year, with the help of SU Literacy Corps, Upstate medical students were
able to put on health fairs for the Somali Bantu Saturday Morning Tutoring Program. “The … Saturday Morning Program is a wonderful program that does a great service to both the children
in attendance as well as their mentors. As someone who has worked with refugee programs in the past in Buffalo, I am aware
of how profoundly appreciated these programs are. The children who attended these sessions are receptive to the programs and
especially to the volunteers who have been working with them for longer periods of time. I think a very valuable service is
being done by the volunteers who dedicate their time there- they provide a positive environment where these children can learn
and grow!” Suma Das, COGHE Volunteer Second Year Medical Student, SUNY Upstate Medical University School of Education, SUNY Oswego Undergraduate
students from the School of Education’s Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program have volunteered
at the Somali-Bantu Community-Based Tutoring Program on Saturday mornings. The program has provided students a unique environment
in gaining valuable experiences for teaching ELL students (http://www.oswego.edu/academics/colleges_and_departments/departments/curriculum_and_instruction/degree_programs/undergraduate/tesol.html). Syracuse University Service Learning The Service Learning Program at Syracuse University allows students to participate in
an organized service activity that meets community defined needs. Students receive academic credit for processing and reflecting
on the service activity within the curriculum. This provides an opportunity for further understanding of course content, a
broader appreciation of the discipline and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. To facilitate the development of mutually
beneficial relationships, CPCS works to create successful community partnerships through carefully matching students' interests
and community needs. Several Service Learning students have partnered with the Saturday tutoring program, working with students
in grades K-3. Program Highlights Some exciting projects have been created by the children and their tutors at the Somali-Bantu Community-Based
Tutoring Program: People Come From Many Places and Travel Miles and Miles:
A Student Guide to Some Pretty Important Holidays was a holiday book written by the
students in grades 4-6 in the fall of 2009. The students researched, illustrated, and wrote about various holidays: Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day, Independence Day (U.S.), Ramadan, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. Writing students from
SU’s WRT 331: Peer Consultant Writing Practicum came in to work with the 4-6th grade students on their writing.
The books were sold at the Syracuse University Bookstore and the Marshall Street Starbucks for $5, with proceeds benefitting
the program. If you are interested in purchasing a book, please contact cpcs@syr.edu. The Community Quilt Project was created by the 4-6th grade students and tutors in spring 2010. Each person
wrote a poem and represented themselves through artwork on a patch of the quilt. The result was a 60 patch, multilingual quilt,
representing the individuals who make up the classroom community as a whole. Special thanks to Hendricks Chapel Quilters of
Syracuse University for their assistance and guidance in creating this quilt. The Fundred Dollar Bill program was started in the wake of Hurricane Katrina by New Orleans artist Mel Chin. Chin recognized that lead deposits in the soil, as well as in older construction, presented a serious health hazard to thousands of children, both in New Orleans, and nationally. The Fundred Dollar Bill was designed to mimic the look of real currency, without the hallmark symbols and portraits on the bill’s faces. This template was distributed nationally so that children could design their own Fundreds, which were to be collected by a special armored truck designed by Chin, and traded for an equal amount of real currency on the steps of Congress to be used in lead clean-up projects in New Orleans. Children from the city of Syracuse, including many K-3rd grade students from the Somali-Bantu Community-Based Tutoring Program, reached out and completed over 160 Fundreds that were submitted to the program in fall 2009. In fall 2010, the 4-6th grade classroom created
a movie entitled CSI Syracuse: Saturday Program Style. Dave, one of the program’s
beloved tutors was “kidnapped,” and the students learned about different careers in order to bring Dave’s
captors to justice. They learned about law enforcement, collecting evidence and learning about emergency situations from “Sheriff
Bailey”; they analyzed evidence with medical students from SUNY Upstate Medical University; and the students learned
about law and journalism by holding a trial, playing the parts of lawyers, judges, bailiffs, jurors, witnesses, and reporters.
All of the events were organized and compiled by Syracuse University’s AmeriCorps VISTA and CPCS Literacy Interns. The
students celebrated with a movie premiere, complete with popcorn, their own Hollywood stars, books (donated by Firstbook through
SU’s Campus Advisory Board), movie posters, and even a red carpet! (http://www.syracusecityschools.com/?q=node/1837)
In spring 2011, students in grades K-3 wrote the Poem Collection. This is a collection of short poems the children wrote with the assistance of their tutors. The children provided the words and the tutors acted as scribes. Thirty students contributed a poem to this collection. In spring 2011, students in grades 4-6 created an alphabet line. The words represented in English were translated into the various first languages of all the tutors and students in the classroom, from Wolof to Amharic to Korean to Maay Maay. 11 languages were represented in all. Greg Victory’s CRS 435: Interviewing course hosted two workshops in spring 2011 on job preparedness skills for the 7-12th grade students. The first workshop was lead by Greg and focused on interviewing skills and what employers expect out of their employees. The second workshop focused on creating a resume. The mentors and the CRS students worked with the youth to complete a hand written resume. Typically, IYS
tries to offer its students the opportunity to participate in educational field trips. In the past, they have watched plays,
went ice skating, and took a trip to the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST). In fall 2010, the students attended a writing
workshop at Percy Hughes hosted by Dr. Marcelle Haddix of the School of Education. In spring 2011, the students spent their
last day of the Saturday program at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Contact For more information about our literacy programs or to donate, please contact: Abdullahi Ibrahim: abdullahi@somalibantucommunity.org Haji Adan:
haji@somalibantucommunity.org
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