Barasho horteeda ha, inicin – do not hate me before we get to know each other

Barasho horteeda ha, inicin – do not hate me before we get to know each other A dozen Somali elders and community members gathered yesterday in Faribault to talk about health in their community. The meeting was derailed by a discussion of current events. Participants were quick to talk about the importance of collaboration, community unity, expressing solidarity, and working together to address current issues. “When our religion is under attack, it is no longer about one person, organization or the other,” one member commented, “we must work together as a team, stay united.” Meetings and gatherings across Rice County are being coopted by Washington’s latest news. Executive orders are provoking visceral reactions and portending cold realities that are hitting home across Rice County, and the world. For HFC’s community engagement team, these realities are touching every piece of their work and their lives. Despite this, they want everyone to know that we are together and nobody is alone. “Just the other night our class was on nutrition and diabetes but we ended up talking about stress,” remarks Raquel Rendon, a community health worker at HFC. She helps to facilitate HFC’s diabetes program where conversation drifted from diet and exercise, to stress and planning for an uncertain future. “Nobody is spending a dime,” she has noticed, “people are planning for looming changes, saving money to be able to support their family or hire a lawyer in case they lose their jobs. Across the community people are asking themselves ‘will I leave my kids behind if I am deported?’ It is tragic, but having a plan is resonating.” Many Somalis share the same anger and worry. Somalis who are citizens, legal permanent residents, and other refugees who came to the United States via resettlement programs are feeling uncertain about their future. Ali Hassan, HFC’s advocate, says “people came as refugees with legal status, but feel like that claim is no longer there.” People in Faribault are waiting to visit family, delaying travel plans, patiently waiting for citizenship applications to be processed, and many anxiously waiting to be reunited with family. This anxiety is taking its toll in our community. “People thought they were part of Faribault’s future, now they are holding back,” said Yakub Aden, a community health worker at HFC. “Now they have put us in a different category, morality is down.” Raquel said, “At first I couldn’t stay away from the news channel. I felt the same way that I felt on 9/11. You knew everything that was happening was going to affect you somehow, and it was scary.” “At first I was stressed and felt that nobody was going to talk about it,” noted Ali, “when I saw the support across the country, on the news, the protests, this made me feel good, relief, and supported.” It is this note of unity and mutual support that the team wants to send. Ali wants the community to know that “HFC is always there, and we will continue to support the community, in times of health and when they need resources. HealthFinders will be a bridge where community can get resources. We are very concerned about what is going on, we are not happy, and we are always with them.” Raquel is sending a message to her patients, family, and friends that they are “not alone” and “we share in the concerns of the community, and anything they need to help them stay strong, we are here to support in any way possible.” HFC’s community engagement team has conversations like this across the county every day. With the aim of raising the voices of our community, they share what they hear on @HFCvoices Community Conversations Facebook page. They have engaged the community about what makes them healthy, New Year’s resolutions, definitions of health and wellness, and more. Lately, the page and conversations have been filled with messages of unity and support from community members in their own words. “The community can stay united at all times by first looking at our similarities, and then our differences,” noted Abdi a Faribault business owner. “This can promote inclusiveness and create unity within our community.” Lauren a student thinks getting to know your community and neighbors helps us better understand each other. “Unity gives us the opportunity to get to know each other to come up with solutions that we can’t find on our own,” notes Maritza. 10-year-old Antonio thinks if you are not united you are divided, and you can’t accomplish anything. Plus if you are friends with your neighbors… you can invite them to your parties!” “Why don’t we start being a part of our community? Get out and know your neighbors. You may not always agree with them but you more than likely will understand them better and in turn maybe even care about them,” remarks another local resident. Somalia is a nation of poets. Somali wisdom and proverbs are frequently shared through the site. “Barasho horteeda ha, inicin – do not hate me before we get to know each other.” The team would love for you to join the conversation @HFCvoices, read, listen, contribute, but most of all, reach out and get to know your neighbors. These are challenging times but only together can we overcome them. This Saturday at 1pm in front of the Rice County Courthouse there will be a demonstration of this support, bringing communities together and letting each other know that we stay united.