Providing Fundamentals of Care for Somali Bantu Refugee Children

More than 600 Somali Bantu refugees live on the west side of Buffalo, NY. The refugees were forced from their homeland on the Northeastern coast of Africa where they endured civil war and harsh conditions in Kenyan refugee camps. Local refugee resettlement programs helped them to find housing and work in Buffalo, and to assimilate into American culture. Various Western New York community agencies have provided assistance.

The Emily Foster Health Sciences Library and the Women’s Health Clinic at the Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo partnered with Jericho Road Family Practice and Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo and Erie County to improve fundamentals of care for refugee children. The generosity of the Community Health Foundation of Western & Central New York enabled the project.

The project began because Sister Helen Anne Wolf, a nurse at Jericho Road Family Practice and Steve Keller of Literacy Volunteers wanted to help the Bantu community. They decided to seek funding from the Community Health Foundation for a grant that was focused on fundamental health care for underserved children. But, in order to qualify for funding they needed to partner with a healthcare organization. They asked Diane Schwartz and Elaine Mosher from the Kaleida Health Libraries to participate. Elaine invited Donna Slawek of the Women & Children’s Hospital Women’s Clinic to participate because the clinic was already serving Bantu mothers. Together they wrote a grant and planned a health education program for the Bantu community. Dr. Myron Glick agreed to be the medical advisor. And, the program began.

First, a cultural awareness conference took place at the Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo in October 2006. The conference brought together community agencies and health professionals to network, share information, and understand the needs of the Somali Bantu people. Guest speakers were Dr. Omar Eno of Washington University, a Bantu himself, and Dr. Myron Glick of Jericho Road Family Practice where the Bantu refugees receive health care for their families. The conference was a wonderful success. The balance of Dr. Eno’s personal stories of the Bantu people and the practical medical information provided by Dr. Glick provided an entertaining and educational day. The auditorium overflowed with participants who bravely traveled through Buffalo despite the fact that the program was held the week of the infamous Buffalo October storm of 2006.

Next, the grant partners assessed the health needs of the refugee children through a series of focus groups. A health education curriculum was defined. Sister Helen was able to locate 5 volunteers from the Bantu community who were sent to the International Institute of Buffalo to be certified as trained interpreters in Maay Maay and Kizigua, the Bantu native languages.

A nurse (Sister Helen), a clinical informationist (librarian), and an interpreter visited Somali Bantu homes and provided mothers with health information on topics such as immunization, hygiene, nutrition, lead poisoning, and other essential health issues. During the home visits the families complained of insect infestation despite repeated exterminations in their apartments. Sodexo employees graciously offered their expertise and donations to help the Bantu improve their living conditions and make clean, healthy homes.

After the completion of home education visits, the team planned phase 2 of the project. In phase 2 the team made return visits to the Bantu homes. Post-test evaluations were completed to determine how much of the information was retained and used.

Sister Helen Anne Wolf and Diane Schwartz are currently (05/08) working with the Buffalo Public School nurses. They will use our resources to teach the Bantu children about health during lunch & learn meetings.

The results of the project will be submitted to a professional medical or library journal for publication.


Project Team Members

	Seated:  Diane Schwartz, Sister Helen Anne Wolf Standing: Elaine Mosher, Karen Lamson

Tracy Diina
Director, Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo & Erie County, Buffalo, NY;

Elizabeth Eisenhauer, RN, MLS Kaleida Health, Buffalo NY;  

Karen Lamson, MLS
Kaleida Health, Buffalo NY;

Elaine Mosher, MLS
Kaleida Health, Buffalo NY;

Diane G. Schwartz,
MLS, AHIP, FMLA
Kaleida Health, Buffalo NY;

Donna Slawek, NP
Kaleida Health, Buffalo NY

Sister Helen Anne Wolf, RN
Jericho Road Family Practice, Buffalo NY;