KWENU: Our Culture, Our Future

UN and Darfur, Sudan: Public schools as last hope

ACHO ORABUCHI

 Dallas, Texas

aorabuchi@netzero.net

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Indubitably, schools in North America serve admirably as a model of United Nations where member nations breathe in a sigh of hope and esteemed aspiration as they commune with each other for the furtherance of enlarged humane and productive future. These schools are a place where the eyes of these unofficial diplomats are lit for a brighter outlook as their governesses facilitate the unlocking, activating, and enlarging their spheres of future success. It’s indeed a place where action reigns and results celebrated in a multifaceted fashion. 

Like the UN, some public schools in North America, who are at the receiving end of the refugee children, have a purpose; they pride themselves in their vision to provide a safe and secure environment in which all the children would reach their full social and academic potential. In the same token, one of the seminal purposes in the UN Charter ratified by 51 Member States on October 24, 1945 was, “To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace…”

Invariably, the number one purpose of UN has proven tough for the plum organization to accomplish. Lately, the UN has been in the news for its inaction in bringing to an end the ravaging ethnic cleansing in Darfur that has left vast areas of Darfur region desolate and millions of Christians and Black Muslims destitute.

While the UN is still grappling with operational modalities and logistics, coupled with its political ineptness, millions of Christians and Black Muslims’ desperation for urgent help continues to mount. The assistance for the pressing needs of these people is becoming illusory, at least to them; as the silence of anguish and haplessness resulting from delayed succor is written all over their faces in their respective tents of horror in refugee camps in neighboring Chad. There, the trappings of depravation could only be imagined than experienced.

The UN’s inertia has left humanitarian organizations and “Doctors Without Borders” to meagerly fill in the gaps of human misery while the lives of people of Darfur continue to be uncertain. Also, it has created an influx of refugees to many countries, especially to America, that is having overwhelming impact on both public schools and the newcomers.

These schools are offering these refugee children a bushel of hope in place of their difficult background. Some of these children must have been born in refugee camps where the only first sound they heard was the fading echoes of gunshots whose consequences placed their families in the pergolas of dreadfulness.

Unlike the UN that could not stop the human catastrophe in Sudan—the UN that has abdicated its seminal responsibility; the UN whose purpose it was in the first place to stop the human carnage, some public schools in the North America are widening the portals of opportunities for its member nations by hoisting social and academic growth of all children, particularly for those with smattering of English. A parent in one of the schools, Ms. Marta Tesfa attested to the quality of her daughter’s school in delivering educational services to its stakeholders. She said, "I like my daughter’s school. It's a very good school with excellent teachers. My daughter continues to grow in academics since she first came to this school."

Fortunately, the schools have many eclectic programs and clubs aimed at enlarging students’ horizons. For instance, last year’s international fashion show held in one of these schools, where many countries were represented, was not only riveting, but it also captured the tapestry of fashion meshed in cultural underpinnings. It afforded people the opportunity to learn and appreciate other cultures.

Teachers at these schools, representing a multitude of countries, have unbridled passion to educate all students irrespective of students’ socio-economic and cultural background. Not only that these faculty and staff members at these public schools are highly qualified and committed; they’re putting extra time to ensure that all students are successful in social and academic realms. These teachers, indeed, have a flair for reaching all children wherever they may be in their socio-academic development and no matter the enormous challenge.

Appreciatively, no place is this challenge more obvious than in the newcomer classes. In one of the newcomer classes, 15 different languages are spoken. However, a newcomer class teacher, Mr. Gary Lee expressed fulfillment in the level of social and academic progress the refugee students are making, particularly the newcomers. “Our newcomers are doing quite well,” he said. “Academically, I’ve seen good, steady progress with each and every one of my students,” he continued. “Many have gained several years of education in less than one school year,” Mr. Lee added.

In order to help some of the refugee students to make a smooth transition into American school culture, a case Manager for Refugee Program under Youth and Family Center (YFC) attached to the school, Ms. Berhan Dagnachew, has been working with the students in small groups. “I’ve been using drama teaching, verbal communication learning skills, and role playing to teach the students academic and social skills,” she began. “Through various activities I’ve been utilizing, the students have progressed tremendously in both academic and social skills; their self-esteem has been enhanced as well,” she added with a gleaming face.

In fact, American public schools are turning bleak hope into fathomless opportunities for all children by filling in their past illusory dreams with optimistic ones. Despite some students’ modicum of English and cultural disparities, teachers seem to facilitate their smooth adjustment and transition into productive future with a global dimension.