21-05-2025
World Relief Triad helps worldwide refugees resettle
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — Every year, thousands of refugees are forced to make some tough decisions about leaving their homes behind to rebuild their lives in a new country. From war to famine and even poverty, there are a number of reasons people opt for a fresh start. A group in the Triad is assisting refugees who are starting a new life in North Carolina with help from a community foundation.
The destructive war in Ukraine has forced an estimated 6.5 million people from their homes, and in Gaza, entire cities have been laid to ruin in the war between Israel and Hamas, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without a home or even food and water. Civilians in Sudan have been fleeing the violence in Darfur for over 20 years, often times risking their lives to try and cross into neighboring countries that are not equipped to help them.
Check out the difference Community Foundations are making here in the Piedmont Triad
A group here in North Carolina is doing what it can to help these refugees. World Relief Triad helps these refugees, as well as other vulnerable immigrants, rebuild their lives in a new country.
'We are a refugee resettlement agency. So that means that we are assisting refugee families as they arrive in the United States,' says Jon Musser, Director of Mission Services. 'Everything from housing to jobs to sometimes health care and other needs that they may have as they are newcomers to our community.'
World Relief has been operating in the Triad for 35 years and helps settle about 400 people each year. These refugees come from the Middle East, Africa, as well as Southeast Asian countries such as Burma and Myanmar. Musser says these refugees face many challenges. 'Some of them are in very vulnerable situations because they don't know the language.'
That is where World Relief comes in. They help those seeking to resettle adapt to living in the U.S. They want to set these families up for success, even helping to translate job qualifications. Raphal Ramazani is the Opportunity Services Manager. He says doctors, lawyers and engineers come to the U.S. 'They have spent over six years of their life studying and then they move over to the U.S. just to find out they can't do anything with their degrees.'
But the first step is usually getting them to speak and understand English. For those classes, World Relief partners with local community colleges such as GTCC and Forsyth Tech, but these classes go beyond just learning the language. They also offer classes to help people land jobs. Ramazani says, 'this is to prepare them for the reality of what it's like living in this new country, what they should expect in terms of applying for jobs and most importantly, how they should pay their taxes.'
A recent grant from the Winston-Salem Foundation is helping develop these and other community partnerships that set up these refugees for success and some even return to work for the agency. Dhan Gurung says, 'in 1992, I had to flee from my country because of ethnic conflict.' Now he is World Relief's Community Engagement Manager and knows what refugees go through. After fleeing his native Bhutan, he lived in Nepal in a refugee camp for nearly 20 years before he was able to come to America with his family.
'So in 2012, I started working here in October. I started working as a case worker, so since then I've been working all the time here and I love working here.' He helps refugees who are in a 'totally new country, new system, new laws, everything new for them. They don't know anything,' says Gurung. 'So at that time, being an example and then giving them all kinds of possible life ahead and success ahead and giving them all this reality, and they get more encouraged.'
What also helps is the engagement from the diverse community that High Point has to offer. With groups from all over the world, refugees are able to find help integrating and connecting.
Musser says, 'there are communities here from all around the world that people can plug in with and connect and have even that shared language and shared cultural background sometimes. So that does help in people's journey towards self-sufficiency and integration.'
And World Relief Triad is by their side every step of the way with locations in High Point and Winston-Salem.
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