Guest post by Arielle Eirienne.

“This is cacao? Is it for baking?” my Congolese refugee mentee asked me, holding up the chocolate bar I had brought back for him as a souvenir from Paris.

“No, you don’t bake it,” I replied. “You just open the package and eat it.”

“Oh, it’s already baked?”

“Yes” was the best response I could think of.

The chocolate bar in his hand.  The school permission slip she’s supposed to sign but can’t read. The McDonald’s job he can’t figure out how to get even though it’s mountains below his job as a physician back home, the bills she can’t pay because she can’t get that job, the checking account he wouldn’t be sure how to use to pay the bills if he could pay them.

And then there’s that karate advertisement her son brought home from school – is it saying she’s required to pay $48 dollars for him to learn karate?

To be a refugee is to be thrust into a world you never knew existed, only to find there are few people who understand that you didn’t know and are willing to help you navigate its highways through to its narrow alleys.

Refugees arriving in the United States are guaranteed certain fundamental services: a friendly welcome at the airport, a warm meal when they reach their new home, a home itself, assistance with enrolling their kids in school, and basic guidance in the job hunt.  They have case managers to turn to for technical assistance, yet case managers see hundreds of clients per year.  There’s very little time for holding hands or lending sholders to cry on on those lonely nights when home – the land where the client family was almost killed – suddenly seems the friendliest place to be.

Hence the internationally minded version of the traditional American welcome wagon: volunteer mentors that help guide refugee families through their crucial first months.  One family, one team of volunteers – to visit weekly, or biweekly, or whatever the family needs.

Just as there is no typical refugee family, there is no perfect model for a refugee mentorship.  The father may need a resume to apply for American jobs.  The mother may want to learn how she can become reaccredited to build upon her 20-year career as an engineer.  They may also want to know how to search for jobs on craigslist.

The 21-year-old may want to go to college, the 19-year-old may want to get a high-school diploma, and the 12-year-old may simply need help with science homework in which the concepts are simple but the words are all brand new.

Showing up with a curling iron and playing beauty shop with the girls isn’t a bad idea either; mentors first and foremost are responsible for filling the role of “first friends.”

Mentors often find that they form fast bonds with their refugee clients.  The rewards are real, and relationships often extend years beyond the initial period of assistance.

The Refugee Assitance Program at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (www.ypfp.org/rap) offers residents of the DC area the opportunity to become mentors.  If you are interested in becoming a vital part of a refugee family’s life, please emailrefugees@ypfp.org for more information.  Refugees in need of mentorship are also welcome to contact us.  We continually work on updating our collection of resources for mentors and refugees, which can be found at http://ypfp-rap-bestpractices.wetpaint.com/.

Arielle Eirienne currently volunteers as director of the Refugee Assistance Program at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy.  Having served as a 2006-07 U.S.-Canada Fulbright Fellow, she holds an M.A. in international affairs, with specialization in conflict analysis and conflict resolution, and a B.A. in sociology.

The Employer Recommendation Letter is a critical part of the Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) application package.  Errors and omissions in the content of the letters lead to processing delays and application rejections.  Unfortunately, we have seen many incorrectly drafted Employer Recommendation Letters submitted on behalf of our clients.  United States supervisors drafting letters on behalf of Iraqi SIV applicants must include the following information:

1.  The recommending supervisor’s name, employer, job title, and email address.

2.  Name of the employee, job title, job description, dates of employment, special clearances (if applicable), and any ongoing serious threat experienced by the employee as a consequence of the employment by or on behalf of the U.S. Government.

3.  Certification that the recommending supervisor has personally met the employee.

4.  Certification that the referred applicant is personally known to the supervisor and, to the best of his or her knowledge, presents no threat to the national security or safety of the United States.

5.  Confirmation that the employee is currently (or resigned) in good standing.

The Whitt Law Firm, PLLC, provides assistance to Iraqi SIV applicants at no cost.  If you are a U.S. citizen supervisor or an Iraqi SIV applicant and need assistance drafting an Employer Letter of Recommendation, please contact us at siv@whittfirm.com.