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Rohingya Community of Chicago

Ryan-Tejero

By: Ryan Tejero

 

I have been blessed to have searched this community online, and found it worth writing about in this column. Thank you Sarah Pajeau for the interview about your organization. The Rohingya Community of Chicago (RCC) is a community based social service organization aimed at serving the needs of the Rohingya refugee population in Chicago as well as raising awareness of the genocide being waged by the Myanmar government. The United Nations lists the Rohingya Muslims of northwestern Burma (Myanmar) among the most persecuted people in the world. With a growing Rohingya refugee population in Chicago, the Rohingya Culture Center was established in 2016 by its Founder and Executive Director, Nasir Zakaria, who arrived in Chicago in 2013. Mr. Zakaria saw the need to have a place for the Rohingya to come together to celebrate their culture in their new homeland. He worked to find a space for the community to gather in 2014. Finally, two years later, Nasir Zakaria was able to secure funding through the Zakat Foundation of America, an international humanitarian organization for its current projects that include Case Management, Academic Support, Citizenship Classes, English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes, Youth Sports, and Religious Education. RCC has become a world known center and has created a space to welcome and connect the Rohingya. Case Management: Every month, Senior Case Manager, Abdul Jabbar (AJ), and Part-time Case Manager, Emraan Mohamad, work with over 250 families assisting and advocating with unemployment, SNAP, insurance, utilities, school registration, and language interpretation. Their work is essential for the success of the RCC community. Appointments are made in in-person only. RCC finds it very difficult to work from home because the community has low-literacy rates.

Academic Support: RCC offers an after-school homework program that help children in the community to come to do homework, study, or receive extra help in their academics. This program is currently in the works of starting online due to COVID-19.

Citizenship Classes: This class had started virtually on December 7th. They are taught by RCC’s Education Director, Susan Chestnut.

Youth Sports: RCC offers Soccer Club to youth in the community. Soccer Club teaches youth how to function as a team, become leaders, and learn the benefits of cooperation, hard work, and practice.

Religious Education: RCC offers Quran classes to youth in the community. Classes are being held virtually due to COVID-19. The after-school supervisor, NurHayati Sultan, organizes and oversees Quran classes with their two teachers, Sajedah and Rashedul.

As a community-based social service organization, partnering and reaching out to the community is very important to RCC. Before COVID-19, RCC had volunteers from the community and universities in the area who come to the center daily. RCC’s Program Manager, Sarah Pajeau says, “We are so thankful for our supporters and volunteers! Due to COVID-19, we do not have volunteers coming into the center. However, we look forward to the future when it is safe for us to hold services in-person. While we originally began to support the Rohingya population, RCC works to support the whole community regardless of background – we welcome all at RCC!”

Please connect with RCC through their website rccchicago. org and find them on facebook – Rohingya Community Chicago. If you intend to support their programs and services, please reach to Nasir Zakaria, Executive Director, nasir@ rccchicago.org, Sarah Pajeau, Program Manager, sarah@rccchicago. org.

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RCC’s Center offers Case Management, Academic Support, Citizenship Classes, English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes, Youth Sports, and Religious Education.

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Facade of RCC’s Center in Chicago.

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