Dear Friends,

Here is Just Neighbors’ March update.  We have been assisting a growing number of refugees from Ethiopia, so we focus this month on that country.

Client Story by Robin Chen Delos, Just Neighbors intern

Tongo Bubu* showed up at the door of Just Neighbors still in his mechanic uniform. His face lit up with a smile, disguising the fact he has lived through war and years in a refugee camp. 

Bubu is from Ethiopia, and though it is the only African country never colonized, it has still seen more than its share of famines, civil conflicts, and war after Eritrea gained independence in a 1993 referendum.  An emperor ruled Ethiopia until a self-proclaimed Marxist junta seized power in the 1970s. Then Meles Zenawi’s political party overthrew the Marxists, and continues to rule today. The administrations of both the Marxists and Zenawi ran brutal campaigns against suspected dissidents, according to the BBC News. 

Bubu was serving in the Ethiopian navy when Zenawi’s forces overthrew the Marxist government in 1991.  He was forced to flee to a refugee camp in Yemen along with thousands of other members of the military as well as civilians, he said.  Yemen is not far from Ethiopia, located across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from now-landlocked Ethiopia, which sits between Sudan and Somalia. 

He suffered many hardships during the 15 years he spent in the refugee camp.  Islam is the official religion of Yemen, though the country’s constitution provides for religious freedom, and relations between religious groups are “generally amicable,” according to the U.S. Department of State website.  But as a Christian in Yemen, Bubu said he could not work because “when we apply for a job the first question is ‘what is your religion.’ If you are a Christian they won’t hire you,” he said. 

The people were living like animals in the refugee camp, Bubu told me.  He said one day Yemeni police raided his friends’ birthday party in the refugee camp. The police took everyone at the celebration to prison.  A 2004 report by Refugee Council USA corroborates Bubu’s description of the refugee camp in Yemen:  “Christian populations there are facing increased harassment and threats to their personal safety.” The report recommended the U.S. State Department give Ethiopian refugees in Yemen the opportunity to resettle in the United States.

The harsh conditions prompted Bubu and other Christians in the refugee camp to organize a 40-day demonstration in 2005.  They wanted to tell the world about their plight.  Bubu asked me, “you know about slaves?” When I nodded, he said his life in the refugee camp was “just like a slave, completely a slave.”

Refugee Council USA’s report and the demonstration in Yemen may have helped determine the refugees’ fate.  After the demonstration, the U.S. State Department permitted Bubu to make the United States his new home.

Bubu arrived in Alexandria, Virginia, on September 20, 2005, and has been living here ever since. He stays in a house with three friends who served alongside him in the navy and lived with him in the refugee camp.  Just Neighbors recently helped Bubu and his friends file petitions so they can become legal permanent residents of the United States.  In a few years, he will be eligible to become a U.S. citizen.

Bubu’s mother, brothers, and sisters are still in Ethiopia. He said he hasn’t seen them in 20 years. Though he said he misses them and misses Ethiopia, he said he cannot go back because he fears for his safety. 

But when I asked him if he would return to Ethiopia if the government changed, his eyes lighted up and with a smile he said, “yes, why not?”

*Name has been changed to protect client’s identity
 
Client Demographics

In 2006, Just Neighbors served 526 clients from around the world.  65% of these immigrants came from Central and South America; 18% from Africa; 16% from Asia; and 1% from elsewhere. These percentages are skewed because of the large number of El Salvadorans for whom we renewed Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the summer.  Among the non-TPS clients, 55% came from Central and South America, 23% from Africa, 20% from Asia, and 2% from elsewhere.

In 2006, Just Neighbors served the largest number of clients from the following countries:  El Salvador (189); Honduras (29); Afghanistan (27); Bolivia (26); Peru (25); Sierra Leone (18); Mexico (18); Guatemala (16); Ethiopia (15); Somalia (13); and Iran (10).

In 2005 and 2006, Just Neighbors’ clients have come from 87 different countries.  This includes 29 African countries, 24 Asian countries, 16 Central and South American Countries, 11 European countries, 6 North American and Caribbean countries, and Australia.

Around the Office

Just Neighbors is excited be a member agency of the United Way of the National Capital Area federation for 2007.  Our agency designation code for the 2007 campaign is 8574.  We will keep you posted on how you can use this code to contribute to Just Neighbors through paycheck deductions.

Volunteer of the Month

Just Neighbors would like to honor Jannette Tococari as our Volunteer of the Month for March.  Jannette has spent many hours meeting with a client to translate and write an account of the woman’s experiences with domestic violence.  Just Neighbors is submitting an application today for a green card for this client, so that she may leave her abusive U.S. citizen husband.  Jannette gained the trust of our young client and worked with her to produce a very compelling affidavit.  Thank you Jannette!

Sincerely,

Rob Rutland-Brown
Executive Director
Just Neighbors
(703) 979-1240