Interweaving for Deeper Impact
In this issue
Strategic Priority: Deepen the impact of UNP-supported partnerships through a stronger interweaving of west side neighborhoods, the University of Utah, and influential institutions around shared questions, priorities, and successful models.
Depth & Sustainability: Identify partnerships and strategies that are effective and have momentum. Focus on deepening that work and creating structures to support partnership sustainability.
Partnership Capacity: Support partners and partnerships in building their capacity to take on roles related to convening, goal setting, assessment, and evaluation.
Horizontal & Vertical Integrations: Increase communication, resource sharing, and collaboration horizontally - across partnerships, sectors of the community, and stakeholders - and vertically, across levels of decision-making.
Knowledge Building: Deepen our shared knowledge base through community-engaged research focused on the work and priorities of partnerships.
Key Indicator: Number of active, collaborative connections within and across partnerships.
By Rosey Hunter, Michael Ambayo, Brizia Ceja, Stars Do Shine, Kimberly Schmit
Bridging Borders (BB) is a group of community partners, educators, students and activists, working to create education pathways for communities living at the margins. Since its founding on the west side of Salt Lake City, BB has reached communities around the world. The catalyst for BB’s evolution came at the request of members of the Karen community. Fleeing the violence in Burma (Myanmar) and living in refugee camps along the Thailand border, this community began resettling and started a new journey of life in a country far from their homes and vastly different in its culture. UNP staff were fortunate to meet with community members as they moved into the Hartland Apartments. We began to learn the history of persecution and the strength of this community. When we inquired about their needs and asked how UNP could best aid them, the answer that came was, do not forget the people we left behind. In this article you will learn more about the impact of these relationships from community partners in Uganda, Mexico, and Myanmar.
Case Management Certificate
Michael Ambayo, Liaison, Uganda/Africa
Uganda, the Pearl of Africa had been in partnership with UNP since 2016. To date, more than 110 people are beneficiaries of BB. Approximately 87% graduated from the Case Management Certificate program (CMCP). CMCP netted education pathways and jobs for people. Approximately, 60% are employed in the refugee settlements with the Government of Uganda and Humanitarian Agencies under Office of the Prime Minister and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Uganda. UNP has continued to build capacity among migrants/refugees and host communities. This has changed people’s minds, social lives, and attitudes. CMCP serves as a lasting Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) with a holistic approach for Ugandans and migrants to advocate for their rights. My gratitude to the leadership of BB.
Bridging Borders Book Project
Brizia Ceja, Organizational Design Specialist, Mexico
I have been part of the author group for BB’s book since 2020. When I heard about this project, I immediately agreed to participate because I knew that this was important work: bringing to the forefront the voices of those who usually don’t get to speak up, learning about their experience. And what a gift it is that they decided to share a part of their lives with a greater community.
I connected with UNP in 2007 when I was a freshman at the University of Utah. I was an academic consultant working with students and helping them prepare for higher education. I stayed with UNP until 2012 when I moved to Mexico and I am over the moon to be connected to this great organization again. UNP is home.
I believe the wisdom and knowledge that is in those pages can be invaluable to students who are preparing to go out and work with underrepresented folks.
Stars Do Shine, Education Director, Myanmar (name withheld for security reasons)
Mingalar Bar! Hello from Stars Do Shine! The year 2022 was tough for us. We were wrestling every day with challenges, risks, and weariness. When uncertainties threw us into total darkness, the love and care that you showed to us in various ways turned the spotlight on for us to see what was still possible. The torch of HOPE remains burning in us. We hope that the torch of HOPE, however dim its light, will light other torches of HOPE for children and young people victimized in the ongoing conflict. In 2022, we focused our work on education for the children and young people at risk. Through a variety of programs, we have reached out to about 10,000 young people, educators, and school administrators, mainly from communities affected by the conflict. Some examples include: the Online Language Learning Program-General English and Chinese classes for post-secondary students and educators; the College Writing and Public Speaking Course; the School Re-establishment Program; and the Teacher Education and Training Support Series.
BB traces its roots back to 2004 and to the relationships formed among UNP staff , students, educators, and leaders from immigrant communities. The resulting partnerships continue to grow as we work together with new groups, as well as the original families and communities, expanding our reach by following leaders back to their home countries. This work of transcending borders now spans continents as well as generations.
By Famuma Addi, Hartland Partnership Center Coordinator, and Tek Neopany, Community Capacity Partnership Coordinator
The UNP Welcome Center sees a variety of individuals on a daily basis for all kinds of support. A major assistance our team provides is working with residents to fill out the application for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). Home is a place of safety, of traditions, and of community. Going through the motions of life can be difficult when your established place of home is at risk of removal.
Purna Subba is of refugee background and has experienced low socioeconomic status and low self-esteem. Her lifestyle is below that in other neighborhoods and she had been unable to provide for the emerging needs of her family, resulting in reoccurring mental health issues. She is solely responsible for caring for her child as well as her elderly parents.
“Being a single mother with a small kid, we were struggling to manage expenses from
my meager earnings. I could save some money to buy nutritious vegetables, pay other
bills and purchase cleaning supplies to keep my apartment clean so I wouldn’t get
evicted because of the rent approval.”
She pays $750 for rent per month, which makes it very difficult to meet other very basic necessary expenses. The Subba family was able to keep their apartment because of the financial support the ERAP program provided, facilitated by the Welcome Center. Purna expressed her gratitude for UNP and notes it is the greatest support that she and her family were able to receive.
Hassan Fahiye also described the help from the Welcome Center and ERAP as the greatest help he and his family were able to receive since their arrival to the U.S. Hassan, who is the head of his household, became the sole provider during the pandemic after his wife lost her job. As a result of COVID-19, Hassan’s wife experienced additional health issues prolonging the period of her unemployment. Visit the Welcome Center located inside the Hartland Partnership Center, 1578 W 1700 S and learn more about the support available for families and residents.
The loss of this necessary second source of income placed the family’s economic wellbeing in a very difficult situation. The financial hardships became even greater after Hassan himself experienced unemployment due to a layoff .
Through his devoted dedication to provide for his family Hassan later found a new job. He worked hard to support his family the best he could with his monthly income of $1,480. His family was unable to receive any benefits. This became very difficult for them to cover their most basic needs on his monthly income. The rent itself without utilities cost $1,275.
Their family depended wholly on his wife’s tax return for support in response to Hassan being unable to receive either of his 2019 or 2020 tax refunds. Not only was the family living in the United States struggling, but because of the Fahiye family’s financial hardship, it also resulted in Hassan’s daughter and her two orphan children, who were living in a refugee camp in Djibouti, being without financial support.
Hassan and his family were then able to keep their apartment due to the financial support of the ERAP program facilitated by UNP’s Welcome Center application support. While the stress of meeting monthly rent was alleviated it allowed for more flexibility to provide for other basic necessities.
The Fahiye & Subba families show a story that is far too familiar to many of us during the hardships that occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the assistance received from the Welcome Center families were able to stay within their community, where much more support is able to be received as well as given back. The end result is a sense of security within their family, and community responsibility to advocate for one another.