My Youth Group

Finding Safe Space: HIAS youth group

Laura, 13, and her sister, Luisa, 14, used to live in a small, rural town in Colombia but had to move to Ecuador to escape the violence that plagued the town. They arrived in Ibarra, a city located in the northern part of Ecuador, five months ago with their parents and extended family. Their family didn’t know anyone in Ibarra, but they knew about my counterpart organization: the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), which assists refugees. 

The majority of immigrants in Ibarra are Colombian. As a Colombian American, I feel honored to be a part of a cause that I can truly relate to while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador.

The first time I met Laura and Luisa, they were in the waiting room at HIAS; and I was conducting a survey about youth rights. They could not answer many of my questions because they were still in the adaptation process and confused about their new life in a new country-- with a new culture, new people, and new food. They did not know anything about the school system and did not understand why they couldn’t go to school with the other kids. Many of the young refugees who arrive in Ecuador a month or two into the school year, were not allowed to enroll that semester.

The biggest challenge for refugee children and immigrant population is integrating into the Ecuadorian society. They face a high rate of discrimination because of negative stereotypes about Colombians. Such stereotypes suggest that they are all thieves, drug dealers, criminals, deceivers, problems-- and that the women are prostitutes. These stereotypes have made finding a place to live difficult for some refugees. Landlords have even told them, “We do not rent to Colombians.”

For Paula, a 15-year-old girl who arrived in Ecuador last month, integration has been particularly difficult.

“People here are mean to me just because I am Colombian,” Paula said, “When they notice my accent, their attitude changes.”

The ones who are able attend school are met with discrimination from their classmates. Jose, a 13-year-old, has been living in Ecuador for over a year but still experiences difficulties when attending school.  He says that some of his classmates call him names and try to start fights with him. One time, they even threw rocks at him.

The psychologist at HIAS and I lead a youth group for the refugee youth. We started with six teenagers, and now we have a total of twelve. Ten of the members are not allowed to go to school because they arrived in Ecuador in December or January after the school year had already begun. I feel powerless about their situation, and I believe that they need a routine because they have a lot of free time. That is why we have met every Thursday for the past six months to do different activities which focus on self-esteem, critical thinking, communication, short and long term goals, recycled art, sports, and information about HIV. I know it is not the same as attending school, but they are learning something instead of just watching TV at their house.

For kids like Jose, the HIAS youth group has become like family. He has been able to make friends and to meet other kids that are going through the same process of adaptation. According to Jose, “In the group, we have fun, we share, and at the same time we learn.”

One of their favorite activities was about self-esteem. They each had a piece of paper taped to their backs and had to write something positive on their peers’ backs. They were excited to know that other people see positive qualities in them because so often they only hear negative stereotypes thrown at them or their families. After the activity, some kids wanted to keep their paper taped to their backs, as though they were shrouded with a cape of positivity.

As a Peace Corps Volunteer, I feel lucky to be working with my kids, and I am very proud of them! They have learned to work together and have become a family. They are excited to come to HIAS every Thursday regardless of the 30-minute walk that some of them make. The youth group has been a support system for this group of refugee kids. Most importantly, some of them have increased their self-esteem and confidence. In the HIAS youth group, twelve Colombian refugees can be themselves and know that they will not be judged. They have found a safe space!