I read this story in Sunday’s New York Times on children fleeing Zimbabwe “for lives just as desolate” in South Africa, and wanted to share it here on the ONE Blog.

Below are some excerpts but you can read the full piece on their site.

With their nation in a prolonged sequence of crises, more unaccompanied children and women than ever are joining the rush of desperate Zimbabweans illegally crossing the frontier at the Limpopo River, according to the police, local officials and aid workers.

What they are escaping is a broken country where half the people are going hungry, most schools and hospitals are closed or dysfunctional and a cholera epidemic has taken a toll in the thousands. Yet they are arriving in a place where they are unwelcome and are resented as rivals for jobs. Last year, Zimbabweans were part of the quarry in a spate of mob attacks against foreigners….

South Africa’s national police force is exasperated by the crimes… most victims do not file complaints. After all, they are here illegally, unless remaining in the Showgrounds. “Last week, I had 1,500 ready for deportation,” he said.

The captain stood up, walking over to a computer screen. “We keep photos of the refugees killed near the border.”…

Mention of the children seemed to feed his exasperation. “Street kids, more all the time,” he said. “They come in as if they are playing in a game.”

He asked, “What do we do about these kids?”

-Virginia Simmons

Last Monday, we (The International Rescue Committee’s Washington DC resettlement office) welcomed our most recent arrival – a Bhutanese family of seven. Jet-lagged, dehydrated, but enthusiastic, the family flew into Reagan National Airport and were welcomed by an IRC case manager. This particular Bhutanese family has been in a refugee camp for 17 years. They are part of a new wave of Bhutanese refugees who are welcomed by the U.S. Government and resettled by NGO’s like the IRC.

As a resettlement agency, IRC welcomes families, finds housing, provides a first meal, offers cash assistance, helps with enrollment in English classes, and assists in the search for employment. Currently, the DC office resettles refugees from Burma, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, and many other countries around the world.

Several ONE Campaign employees volunteered their personal time to host a drive for the Bhutanese family collecting furniture, food, clothing and household goods, so that the new home was ready for the family’s arrival. These employees’ involvement will not end here – they will help mentor the family as they begin their path towards independence and build their lives in Washington, DC.

If you are interested in volunteering with IRC, go here to to see if there’s a resettlement office in your area and here to learn how you or your organization can get involved.

-Kate Evans, Volunteer Coordinator for IRC’s Washington, DC Resettlement Office