Living Well Support/Services For You/Family Members – He Wanted To Establish Himself Before Bringing His Wife And Daughters Into A Totally New Country

Some time or other, however, it has to be there for an athlete to rise above the others.

a star quarterback has to think he can take a team 80 yards in less than two minutes against the wind, an ideal defense, and a hostile crowd.

Conforming to his father, he was not really driven until he got to college. Dave always had the talent. Nevertheless, they probably won’t succeed, So in case they don’t have that attitude. Like many others, the Kanjous were the lucky families that made it through the screening process and were accepted as American refugees in September They, endured a long and arduous journey to get to soil.

They now face a brand new challenge.

One evening, his family received a surprise visit from the Syrian government’s police and military.

Despite the rising violence in Homs in March 2011, Kanjou continued protesting. They entered Kanjou’s home without permission and claimed they have been searching for weapons and revolutionary materials. Despite the Kanjou’s newly acquired refugee status, their troubles were far from over. International Organization for Migration books their travel, if a family is granted refugee status by the United Nations. With the gether with healthcare and benefits.

While as indicated by the family, the refugee resettlement process in the has not provided the and after that sent for his family. Kanjou snuck back into Syria and convinced the border guards to allow them to cross safely, his wife and daughters were turned away at the border. When in Jordan they registered as refugees with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as required. He did look for to start a whole new life in alternative country, says Tarifi. Now please pay attention. Kanjou’s father still hoped he could return to the country in which he had lived his entire life. He said he’ll either go back to Syria or live in Jordan. Notice, the UNHCR offered to relocate Kanjou’s parents with his family. Besides, at really similar time it was sad as long as I knew we were leaving behind the country that we were born in for a place that is far away.

Kanjou was filled with mixed emotions.

I was happy being that I wanted a better life for my family.

I wanted a better future and education for my children, he says. His 5 year old daughter, Mays, suffers from a liver enlargement and needs a transplant. Now settled in the, she has an appointment with Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles in March, That was a plus for me to come to the United States being that I know she will receive the medical attention that she needs at a hospital here, Kanjou says. There was another important factor driving Kanjou’s decision to bring his family to America. It’s a well he served his years of mandatory military duty in the Syrian Army without complaint. Whenever designing luxury bedroom and living room furniture for a well off clientele, mostafa worked in the family business.

He bought a comfortable home in an upper middle class neighborhood and married a beautiful girl from a reputable family.

He was a talented craftsman and proud of his work.

They had two daughters who inherited his wife’s deep, grey eyes. And therefore the Kanjous met all three criteria. Tarifi is unsure why the Kanjous received two offers for resettlement from the but he believes it gonna be because of Mays’ health condition and Kanjou’s experience being rtured by the Syrian government. Whenever conforming to the Department of State’s website, the Administration’s emphasis is on admitting the most vulnerable Syrians particularly survivors of violence and torture, those with severe medical conditions, and women and children in a manner that is consistent with our national security. I am sure that the Kanjou family moved into the apartment of a Jordanian friend after landing in California. Now please pay attention. Four days later, a representative from the resettlement agency ok them to the American Inn and Suites in Claremont where they lived, cramped in one dingy room, for the next four weeks. You don’t seek for to know what happened, Kanjou says quietly.

It was continuous beating, continuous cursing.

They should dump icecold water on our heads.

He runs his hand through his thinning redish hair. Sometimes you should not get any food for one to two days. Kanjou doesn’t like to talk about his time in jail, in order to this day. They did not prove anything against me so they had to let me go after 45 days. I was worried that I my be there for quite a while as I know for sure some individuals did not even get out, he says with relief. Forty five days later, he was released. They let him out as they had nothing against him, Tarifi explains. They thought that was enough punishment and hopefully he shan’t demonstrate and they let him go. He simply was participating in the demonstration and at that time the killing was not as much as And so it’s today. Yes, that’s right! Mahmoud Tarifi, a chair of the board of the Islamic Center of Claremont, an organization that serves the needs of Muslims in Pomona, Claremont, and surrounding communities, has grown close to the Kanjou family since their arrival in the United States and is familiar with Kanjou’s story.

Kanjou rushed home to his family and they left Homs for Damascus four days later.

I was worried about my life and my family my wife, my very young childrenso it was time for me to save my life and my family’s life and will soon take over the entire country, after spending one month in Damascus. Now look. Kanjou decided to go to Jordan where his cousin could a brand new country. They’re dignified people. Tarifi believes that if the government provided more comprehensive support for the refugees, they would have a much easier time assimilating to the and getting back on their feet. They seek for to make their own living. They’re independent. Now please pay attention. Whether it’s from the government, they feel embarrassed asking for help, nonprofits or anyone else.

These people are not used to government assistance and they’ve been taking their care of themselves and their families for years and years, he explains.

Alwan, from the Syrian American Council, agrees that most Syrian refugees coming into the United States do not need to live on charity or government handouts.

He will tell you he wants a job, she says, So in case you ask any Syrian man what he needs. It’s a well they introduced themselves, says Kanjou. Whenever intending to social services, planning to the welfare office, that we did with them, they brought a translator with them and they ld us there’re certain things that we had to do, just like intending to get MediCal. On the second night, representatives from the agency came to visit the family. Now pay attention please. Mahmoud Tarifi, from the Islamic Center of Claremont, recalls an incident in which another refugee family went to get routine blood tests at a local health clinic. With all that said… Actually the process of navigating government agencies is inefficient and difficult. On November 19, the House of Representatives easily passed a bill that would suspend the program allowing Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the until key national security agencies certify that they do not pose a national security risk.

That said, this process has become even more rigorous in the wake of the Paris attacks on November 13 that left 130 people dead and the San Bernardino mass shooting on December 2 that killed another 14 people.

31 governors protested the admission of Syrian refugees into their states, after the aris attacks.

These incidents resulted in a massive backlash against allowing refugees to enter the, particularly Muslims from Syria and Iraq. You see, the backlash has prompted additional reviews of the refugee screening process. Even today, Kanjou refuses to divulge the location of his captivity for fear of retribution against him or his family.

His family received no information about his whereabouts or if he will be released.

Kanjou urges the government to consider providing guaranteed Section 8, lowincome housing for incoming refugees.

They will get low income housing and that should definitely will be part of their package, he says. I’m sure you heard about this. Without which the refugees could not survive, a lot of we’re looking at mundane ‘daytoday’ tasks that slip through the cracks of the multiple organizations contributing to the resettlement effort. Mahmoud Tarifi dedicates each waking moment to helping families like the Kanjous successfully transition into American life. Other organizations like the Islamic Center of Claremont provide more minute services to the refugees. So, whenever yelling at them, at one point especially I remember when ok all the young men and they just started smacking them around.

You have to take it Therefore in case you look for to continue on the trip, he recalls. I know that the ride from Damascus to Jordan is normally a four hour trip but it ok Kanjou 24 hours to reach Jordan because of military checkpoints that stranded the passengers for hours along the way. They completed an application for refugee status, background checks, interviews, biometric security checks, health examinations and acculturation classes before they’ve been accepted into the United States as refugees on September 2. Kanjous went through a 13 month vetting process with the United Nations and intelligence agencies. While in line with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement, the process of refugee resettlement varies by state. As a result, for these refugees, the process of navigating these programs can often be the greatest challenge they face in their resettlement process. That’s right! While others utilize publicprivate partnerships or the ‘Wilson Fish’ program, some depend on state administered resettlement resources, an alternative to traditional ‘state administered’ refugee resettlement programs for providing cash and medical assistance and social services to refugees.

Whenever in accordance with Mulla from Access California Services, both the amount and the duration of these stipends are already insufficient.

That cash assistance is only for 8 months, he explains.

Be employed, and be able to take care of yourself and your personal your needs without the government providing any sort of assistance, when it’s up you’re supposed to know how to speak the language. In response, lots of local organizations have rallied to provide support to incoming refugees and fill the void left by insufficient government assistance. Refugees face the threat of being left stranded and unable to navigate the complexities of the American system, only after government and agency support expires. You should take it into account. Lots of community members consider that so it is a ‘nearlyimpossible’ task. Then, it was Tarifi, not the resettlement agencies or the government, who helped Kanjou secure a construction job and begin paying taxes. That’s interesting. He helps Kanjou and his wife communicate with their daughter’s teachers. He takes them to their doctor’s appointments and social service visits. Oftentimes tarifi drives the Kanjous to the grocery store. Tarifi translates their paperwork they can fill out endless required forms and documents, since they speak no English.

Kanjou has yet to get his driver’s license. He introduced the Kanjous to their local mosque and welcomed them into the Islamic community in Claremont. Any items Kanjou did not receive from his neighbors came from the Interfaith Council, an alliance between the Islamic Center and local churches and synagogues. Tarifi regularly receives truckloads of furniture and identical donations intended for refugees like Kanjou. Still saw his monthly stipend reduced by $ 250, he immediately complied. Government provides refugees with a monthly stipend for their first eight months in the Kanjou recently received a letter instructing him to send in his daughter’s immunization forms or face a penalty. Now this bureaucratic type bungling sometimes results in more serious consequences for families like the Kanjous. There were no beds or toilets.

Kanjou spent 45 days in a three meter by three meter cell he shared with 25 other men. Whenever insulting their families, withholding their mail, starving them and beating them, the guards rtured and humiliated Kanjou and the other inmates. Whenever as indicated by the White House, incoming Syrian refugees face the most stringent degree of security checks every way to work by bus. Nonetheless, on Sundays, Kanjou volunteers at the Islamic Center of Claremont. He works six days a week and recently received a promotion from laborer to carpenter.

Kanjou is attempting to leave his past behind.

Kanjou believed it could have been even better, life was good.

He believed his government should listen to its people. Kanjou joined thousands of Syrians who ok to the streets to march for change, when the momentum of the rab Spring hit Homs in March 2011. You should take this seriously. He had seen the success of the protests in Tunisia and believed Syria could achieve that same result. Unable to purchase their own airline tickets, these incoming refugees begin their new lives in debt to the government. Certainly, many refugees like the Kanjous flee Syria with little more than the clothes on their back. Known any family member receives an onetime cash gift of $ 1100 upon arrival in the After three working months with the IRC, the refugees are expected to have used their stipends to arrange for temporary housing. There is more info about this stuff on this website. Whenever ranging from financial assistance to English language classes to job placement support to healthcare and social services assistance, access California offers an array of services to refugees.

Only 1500 Syrian refugees had been accepted into the United States since the start of the Syrian War, as of September 2015.

Under mounting pressure, the Obama administration announced in September that 10000 Syrians going to be allowed entry to the United States in 2016.

That said, this number represented dot 03 the nearly percent 4 million refugees who had fled Syria since the conflict began in 2011, and stood in stark contrast to the 800000 refugees that Germany pledged to take in. These agencies are government contractors who are tasked with helping the refugees navigate the first three their new months lives. Anyway, the government turns over responsibility to resettlement organizations like the International Refugee Committee, if the refugees land in America. He has not escaped the war, kanjou may have escaped Syria. Last month, he received a phone call informing him that one of his relatives had been abducted by an extremist group and was being held for a ransom of $ 3,Kanjou’s family pooled their funds to secure a safe release.

Alwan has also been uched by the generosity of Americans making an attempt to help the newly arrived refugees.

An older lady knocked on my door and she had two beautiful boxes with very nice clothing neatly folded, Alwan recalls.

She ld me she was a refugee herself in Germany. The actual question is. She really cared, you know? That said, despite help from the community, Kanjou’s first months in America are still wrought with challenges.