During this hurricane of fury or excitement, depending one where you stand, it was coincidental that one of our history lessons was about Israel falling to the Assyrians. In that lesson, the activity was to discuss what a community can do to help refugees. The correlation is that the Israelites became refugees in a foreign land when they were forced to leave their country to live in Assyria.
Our boys and I watched a YouTube documentary about a refugee camp in Kenya for Somalians. It discussed the reasons the refugees were leaving Somalia and how Kenya was taking care of them. During and after the video we discussed in details what all is involved in taking care of refugees. I've listed the aspects we discussed below. Obviously, I added to the discussion but I wanted them to understand what all is involved and that it's not a matter of "political" disagreement or agreement. There certainly are more to be considered but these are the ones we noticed from watching the video.
Facets of taking care of refugees we have discussed so far:
1. Provide shelter: will it be permanent or temporary and how to transition from one to another. How will it be determined where they will stay (cities, land)? What kind of shelter? (Buildings, trailers, tents)
2. Provide food: figuring out what is the least expensive that goes the farthest. How much does each family get and how often? Food allergies? How to store the food? Where do we get the food that is provided t...o the refugees? How to keep it from spoiling or keep rats/mice/bugs out of it.
3. Provide clothing: how much clothing does each person get? How do you accommodate for growing children who need newer sizes more often? Clothing for pregnant women?
4. Providing healthcare: who will be the healthcare providers? Who will provide the medicine? Who much medicine does each family or person receives and how is that determined? Prenatal care, postnatal care.
5. Determining healthcare needs: what is the process to screen for communicable diseases among people with no medical records? Who provides this service and then what is to be done when a serious disease is detected? Where do you send them?
6. Providing Education: do these people deserve to be educated? Who will educate them? Who provides the materials needed? How is it determined who among them receive an education?
7. Providing Transportation: who will transport them to where they need to be once established as a refugee? Transporting to hospitals or medical clinics? What vehicles are used to transport and who provides it? Liability?
8. Maintaining Safety: how is order maintained? Who provides the safety? (National military, state policing)??? What is to be done when a refugee commits a crime against another or against a citizen of the country they live in? What kind of punishment is executed? Where do you send criminals and how do you house them?
9. Providing Jobs: will refugees be allowed to work or forced to work? How will they make currency in order to purchase items they want?
10. Providing Currency: will they be allowed to have currency or will they be able to exchange their country's currency for the currency of the country they are living in?
11. Records keeping: what records need to be kept? How do you gather the info? Who gathers the info and what is to be done with it? What measures are to be taken when someone doesn't meet the requirements?
12. Last but not least...how are all the above services financed? Who finances them?
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