By Christina Killion Valdez
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
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| The New Faces of America Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing issues that affect immigrants settling into Minnesota. From left are Abdi Fatah Abdi Nur, Rashid Mursal, Aisha Mohamed, Mohamad Farah, Osman Hagisalad and Ahmed Mohamad. Ken Klotzbach/Post-Bulletin |
The New Faces of America Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded by Abdifatah Abdinur of Rochester.
"Our vision and mission is to build bridges and strengthen the community by having people work together," Abdinur said.
Education on preventive health care is needed in immigrant communities, he said.
"There are a lot of culture clashes on health issues," Abdinur said.
Immigrants from war-torn regions often need education on mental health, said Ahmed Mohamad, a volunteer with The New Faces.
"It is an illness, too," he said. "Many people are in denial."
The group hopes to address high dropout rates among Somali immigrants by focusing on two root problems: New immigrants might not have the same early education experience as other students and can have a hard time catching up; and some teens must work to send money to family members in Somalia, Abdinur said.
"We want to empower them to find the right solution," Abdinur said.
The organization hopes to connect students with local resources, including after-school programs, sports and activities, he said. They also plan to work with schools, community groups and businesses, he said.
One volunteer is Rashid Mursal. He returned to Rochester a new man after serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq and working for the St. Cloud school district. Yet, he found the Somali community that he'd known here hadn't progressed as fast.
"I thought the Somali community would be deeply rooted with organizations that are very useful," he said Monday.
He hopes to change that. "We want to push our own community to integrate," Mursal said.
Source: Post-Bulletin, May 08, 2008