08 Juil 3.10 Transport

Posted at 14:35h in Stage Three: Settlement Support by GRSI Admin 0 Comments

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Users of this online learning resource are responsible for connecting with government and local organizations to ensure access to relevant information on refugee sponsorship in their community.

Transportation

Your group is responsible for equipping the refugee newcomers with knowledge of and access to the various modes of transportation available in the resettlement community. Some sponsorship groups may also choose to separate transportation tasks from more general orientation.

Tasks may include:

1. Offering to explore the new community with them. If the bus will be their primary means of transit, you can take bus rides with them so they learn the routes from their home to various points of interest such as schools, banks, places of worship, and entertainment venues. If the refugee newcomers will have a car, offer to take a ride with them to do the same activities.

2. Discussing the various modes of transportation available and the level of accessibility. Keep in mind there may be cross-cultural nuances in the use and popularity of different modes of transportation. For example, the taxi system operates quite differently in different parts of the world.

3. If applicable, providing refugee newcomers with transport passes and explaining how to use them.

4. If the refugee newcomers are interested, researching access to bicycles, helmets, locks. There may also be rules specific to cyclists when they are riding on certain roads.

5. Having a conversation on the rules of the road. Flag any cross-cultural differences to share with them. There may (or may not) be differences in ‘driving culture’ (i.e. driving speed, consideration of pedestrians and cyclists, rules of the road, enforcement of traffic laws).

6. Providing the family with maps of their neighbourhood, city, and new country. This may have already been provided in their orientation package (should your group decide to provide this).

7. Maintaining a roster of people with vehicles who can be available to take the family to a variety of appointments in the first few weeks, if public transportation is not suitable, or until the family is familiar with public transportation.

8. If of interest, looking into whether the community transit services offer support to refugee newcomers (e.g. orientation to public transportation system routes).

9. Suggesting useful mobile phone apps that will help with transit, if applicable.

Some information, for example, like rules for cyclists, may be country specific. You may wish to research specific rules for different transportation methods in your country, city, town or community. Some cities or towns have very specific ways of organizing their public transport systems, as well as separate bike and pedestrian pathways.

Transport Scenario 1

Osamu arrived in his country of resettlement last month. He has been looking for a job but has mostly been unsuccessful. Without consulting you or other sponsorship group members, he decided to purchase a car with some of his sponsorship funds in the hopes of finding work in food delivery.

You also learn that Osamu has a driver’s license from his country, which is not recognized in the country where he has resettled.

How can the need for managing expectations be seen in this scenario?

Consider the power balance in this situation and how to manage your expectations. Sponsorship group members may feel disappointed by Osamu’s actions because he used money that was not allocated for a car and/or because he did not tell anyone in the group. One or two group members could start a conversation with Osamu about the situation, highlighting positive language, to understand Osamu’s decision and how it interacts with his desire to find work.

How could the sponsorship group approach this situation while considering power?

While Osamu’s decision to purchase a car may be irrevocable, the sponsorship group can discuss with Osamu how they can build more effective communication going forward and provide better support to meet his goals. It may also be helpful to have a conversation related to the budget and discuss together what adjustments may need to be made. If Osamu cannot afford to pay his rent, then the group may consider accessing contingency funds, fundraising, or reallocating budgetary allotments. Depending on the resettlement country, Osamu may have to request social assistance if there is not enough money in the sponsorship funds to cover essential expenses like rent.

Check In: What would you do?

Thinking about the how this scenario relates to managing expectations, considering culture, considering power, and privacy and confidentiality, in your training journal give a brief description of how you would address this situation.

Transport Scenario 2

You and your group are sponsoring Jamal and his son, Mebratu. Jamal is very soft spoken, and while he can communicate in the local language, he is not yet fluent.

Early in the sponsorship period, Jamal asked the group to help him with various housing-related tasks. Every month, Jamal needs to drop off his rent money with the landlord who lives about 45 minutes away by bus. Usually, Malaika, one of the group members, gives him a ride.

On two occasions, Jamal needed to contact the landlord to repair his bathroom sink and toilet, but he had Ben, another group member, draft and send the e-mails to the landlord.

Finally, a third group member, Nicholas, is often over at Jamal’s apartment to socialize with Jamal and so his son can play with Mebratu. Nicholas usually notices how unclean the apartment is, so he offers to vacuum, wash dishes, and do other household chores for Jamal.

At your sponsorship group meeting, Nicholas, Malaika, and Ben mention they do not mind doing these tasks for Jamal, as he is a single father and they really want to help him. Other group members are concerned by this situation.

How does considering power play an important role in understanding the issues in this scenario?

This is a scenario where Jamal, a refugee newcomer, may be overly dependent on the sponsorship group, resulting in an empowerment issue. In other words, group members may be doing tasks for Jamal instead of doing tasks with Jamal. While the group members may not personally mind helping Jamal in the ways they currently are, their actions may make it more difficult for Jamal to become more independent after the sponsorship period ends.

What reasons might Jamal have for not undertaking these tasks on his own?

There can be a multitude of reasons why Jamal may not undertake these tasks on his own.

Consider the following:

How did the group communicate their roles and responsibilities? Were they consistent in their actions?
How does Jamal’s family situation comes into play?
How does Jamal’s ease in the community come into play?

It may be that the group was unclear in explaining the support they are to provide. It may be that Jamal feels overwhelmed doing many tasks such as cleaning or taking public transit to pay the rent, especially since he is new to the country, and is trying to focus on integrating socially while taking care of his son. It may be that he feels afraid to do certain tasks on his own, such as contacting his landlord because he feels his language skills are limited.

Group members (perhaps just Malaika, Ben, and Nicholas if these are the ones Jamal feels closest to) could have a conversation with Jamal to better understand why he may be overly dependent on them.

What approach could the sponsorship group take to support Jamal?

There is a variety of approaches to handling this situation. As always, it is important to work together to find an approach that provides settlement support in a way that leaves space for self-sufficiency. For example, if he needs to contact his landlord, perhaps he can have a practice conversation with a group member, or have a group member proofread his e-mails.

Instead of giving Jamal a ride to his landlord’s home, explore if there is an alternative approach to pay rent (for example, sending a cheque).