While I cannot share all of the vision for Asha’s Refuge, I’m feeling that it could be helpful for me to share a little more about what some of our hopes are for the future. When refugee families come into our city in about 4 months they are expected to be able to achieve a successful resettlement. For the disadvantaged refugees we’ve met (those with a disability, no education, widows, single parents and/or the elderly) the task to resettle is just not doable in this short period of time. Additional assistance is needed and without it refugees struggle. Younger adults (especially women) are vulnerable to becoming victims in human trafficking. Sadly, some refugees become easy targets of bullying and other crimes in our city. In some cases I have witnessed, elderly refugees who are bored, lonely, increasingly depressed and have actually mentioned suicide. With little to no English or a basic education, refugee men struggle to find jobs to support their families. Non English speaking or culturally socialized preschoolers begin school in America at a disadvantage and can stay behind for a good part of their school life.

Asha’s Refuge has a plan to help but I believe it will take our city truly coming together in acts of love and kindness in order to do so. A piece of our vision includes having a large plot of land where refugees are able to come and find “a place of hope”. The land will have various business sponsors and supporters who will actually help out refugees by offering the necessary job skills they need to be successful in the various businesses. For an example, a hotel could help us build a model guest room or suite. Asha’s Refuge will work with refugees to help train them on how to appropriately make beds and clean the room. We will teach them the language necessary to do the job all the while the refugee stays on the Asha’s Refuge land being immersed in English, basic education and American cultural and life learning. Another example could be a shipping company that would somehow create a package moving area that could work as a safe training place for refugee men or women to learn a new job skill.

The Place of Hope that Asha’s Refuge has a dream to be will invite refugees to come, be educated and also encouraged to give back to their city. As mentioned many times before, the refugee families we’ve worked with are eager to work, they just need encouragement and a helping hand to start them off. We must remember most all of the adult refugees in desperate need of a job in our city were refugee children not long ago living a challenging life of war, famine and persecution brought on them as innocent children. They have beat all odds to make it to America alive. With one look into any of my refugee friends eyes there is clearly a child’s heart wrenching difficult story to tell.

Asha’s Refuge has an idea to have The Taste of the Nations Restaurant (name given to me in a dream, restaurant idea my husbands) where diners can enjoy tasting the different foods and learning more about other countries and cultures. There will be a Kindergarten Readiness program for preschoolers. Refugees will actually help run Asha’s Refuge, manage the gardens and land, work in the restaurant, help in the office, maintain the buildings and small homes, etc. It will be a learning place…a way for refugees to gradually be introduced into our American society ready to support themselves and not be stuck on government assistance. God willing, it will be a place of true hope all the while it will be a place with a people that gives back.