community service

Community Volunteer Service     Yashoda Katel

Bhutanese Community Syracuse (BCS)  http://www.cnybcs.org/ 

The BCS, a non-profit organization was formed by Bhutanese/Nepalese refugee immigrant

leaders in order to provide basic resources to help the assimilation of into the Syracuse

landscape and into the American culture.  Since 2008 there have been over 2500 Bhutanese/Nepalese

immigrants of all ages resettled in Syracuse from crude United Nations Refugee Camps in

Nepal, where they have been living a life in Camp confinement since 1992. They have never been  

actual citizens of any Country. The BCS helps to assimilate their families in a timely fashion and

advocate for their needs and wants. Another of their missions is to preserve their native language and

cultural traditions that go back in hundreds of years of history.  There have been many programs that

BCS has organized. There are awareness programs, ESL Classes, guidance and help with rules and

paperwork relating to services and organizations such as National Grid, the TV and internet cable

companies, banks and other financial institutions and the complicated rules of the Department of Social

services. To start relocation we are assisted by the CYO and Interfaith Refugee programs, but only for a

short period of time, then we are on our own with little help from others.  This why we needed to

have our own Bhutanese center.

     

The Center is run by many different elected leaders and they take care of some family issues,

such as immigration and citizenship and health  issues and even with illnesses and deaths in families. 

BCS also helps with household furnishings, hosting cultural celebrations and dance competitions, field 

trips and other events. The organization has struggled with adequate locations for their programs,

using locals schools for ESL classes for its members and partnering with the volunteers.

They are currently addressing various security issues of the community.

 

ESL classes were started at the space provided by the North Side CYO

along with the citizenship classes at Franklin Elementary School.

Finances are a big issue, but this year BCS was able to lease their own offices and community

center and is within walking distance for most members. Now we are very proud to provide the

members with  our own private place good to help our members. In our new office we are

 holding education classes and cultural programs and to help our  members function in their new 

surroundings. One of our most important efforts to teach older folks to read, write and speak English.

The young people already had a very good education in English in Nepal, but most

of their parents are illiterate, cannot read and write their own language.

This is where young people like myself are very useful, because we know both Nepalese and

English languages and we can teach in their native tongue. Volunteers like me have spent many

hours teaching the basics of English, like the alphabet, grammar and pronunciation.  The

experience  is very rewarding because the students all love us and like working with us. The

teaching is not easy, but can also be fun. There is much laughter. They really need us and our work is 

very important to help them in daily life, like shopping and communicating in English.

There is however, a big problem because we can spend more time in the summer with them, but

when school starts we can only spend little time with them. Even the BCS leaders are busy with

their own jobs and family life, so we need many more volunteers and in the future as our

children grow up, they can also help.  My friends and I love to teach and be

part of the education BCS can provide. Hopefully the BCS will be able to hire full time leaders

some day. This would really help our families to become good Americans.

As far as my volunteerism I often am asked to perform native dancing as part

of our cultural Celebrations.