Nasir Abdi Arush: Helping Somali Bantu refugees start over

UNION LEADER

By KATHRYN MARCHOCKI
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2007

MANCHESTER – Nasir Abdi Arush planned to be back in his native Somalia by now, helping farmers sow better crops, teaching women to read and write and helping poor villagers advance themselves in a society torn by civil war.

Instead, his sister's brutal murder in 2002 and the arrival of the first Somali Bantu refugees in New Hampshire the next year conspired to keep him here.

Age: 36 Address: Manchester Birthplace: Somalia Family: Single. I have six sisters and seven brothers. High school: Sheikh Hassan Barsame in Mogadishu, Somalia. College/post-grad degrees: Southern New Hampshire University, Master of International Community Economic Development; Master of Business Administration, Graduate Certificate of Accounting Current job: Deputy director of N.H. Somali Development Center Key past positions held: Field coordinator, CEFA Italian NGO in Somalia; case worker for refugee resettlement Volunteer activities: Board member of the N.H. Minority Health Coalition; Family Understanding Night, Manchester School District; member of Manchester Refugee and Immigrant Task Force; member of Planning Committee of the “Beginning a Community Conversation on Refugee and Immigrant Integration” Most admired person (outside of your family): Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft Corporation Key current professional challenge: Help refugees to integrate fully to their new home and become financially self sufficient Last major achievement: Founding and establishment of the Somali Development Center N.H. Office. Two people who know you well: Pierre Collins and Abdusalam Jama Biggest problem facing New Hampshire: Lead poisoning. Lead is the number one environmental threat for New Hampshire children, especially newly resettled refugee children. Favorite place in New Hampshire: Portsmouth What book are you reading? None. No time! How do you relax? TV channel hopper What Web sites do you visit often? www.Yahoo.com, www.Hiiraan.com and www.HornAfrik.com Favorite TV show: "Cold Case" and "American Justice" Radio station: WZID Musical artist: Phil Collins and Bryan Adams

After peace activist and aid worker Starlin Abdi Arush was shot to death in Nairobi, Kenya on Oct. 24, 2002, while on her way to observe peace talks among Somali warlords, Arush said it was unsafe for him to return home where he planned to help her carry out her work after earning his master's degree in international economic community development.

"My sister was my heroine. I think that was the biggest loss of my life," said Arush, who moved to Manchester in 2000 to study at Southern New Hampshire University.

Faced with having to "redefine myself," Arush's attention quickly turned to the Somali Bantu refugees who began moving to New Hampshire in 2003.

"The same community was coming into the United States. I found my experience and my knowledge very relevant to do the same thing in the United States," said Arush. He worked as a case worker with Lutheran Social Services of Northern New England, a refugee resettlement agency, and was named deputy director of the Somali Development Center - New Hampshire when the non-profit organization formed in the summer of 2005.

Saying he was "one of the luckiest people in Somalia" because he had the opportunity to go to school and graduate from college, Arush said he is driven by his desire "to give something back to my community."

The Somali Development Center's main mission is to help Somali refugees find jobs and become financially self-sufficient. Inspired by his sister's dream, Arush said the center also focuses on helping women become employed.

"Helping women is very important for us. If we help women, we will help all families," he explained.

Saying lack of language skills continues to hamper Somali employment, Arush said the center launched its first English as a Second Language course geared especially to the workplace in January.

Arush typically spends about 60 hours a week, including Saturdays, working with employers, getting Somalis jobs, interpreting when needed and serving as an intermediary between refugees and health and social service agencies. He knows many refugees by name and has even accompanied them to job interviews or driven them to doctor's appointments.

Arush estimated 370 Somali Bantus now live in Manchester and a total of 500 live in the state. Their population has stabilized, and their living and employment conditions have improved considerably since they first settled here.

"It's really much better," he said. "People are really establishing themselves ... I'm really optimistic about how things are going in New Hampshire."

Source: Union Leader, Oct 17, 2007