In some quarters, their actions are described as homicides, in others, they are viewed as having behavioural, or cognitive disorders, some label them “hyperactive”, others paint them as “Somali gangs” and when the centre cannot hold, they lump them in the general category of unemployed and un-skilled. These are the Somali Youths, some of whom came to Canada as refugees; others were born in Canada to parents of Somali descent. Where did it all collapse for the Somali youth?
According to this project, “Towards a Successful Future: An Assessment of the Canadian Somali youth in Edmonton and Surroundings”, by the Somali Canadian Cultural Society of Edmonton (SCCSE), it states, “…Somali students have a 36.7% dropout rate. These students who cannot catch-up with school, drop out and become gang members which leads them to homicides and social mis-fits. This research project also reported that Somali Canadian youth in Edmonton, like many other Somali youth in North America, have greater engagement in gang involvement, delinquent behaviour and youth violence than their foreign-born or Canadian-born peers…”.
As a response to the above project results and building on the success in Boston, USA, Somali Canadian Cultural Society of Edmonton in partnership with Children Hospital of Boston, and Canadian Friends of Somalia in Ottawa, have a ray of hope for Somali Youth through a project called, RAJO, Somali word for “HOPE”. SCCSE will be working with Somali Canadian youth and their families who have experiences or have experienced trauma and challenges leading to the need for intervention with Justice (Young offenders/criminal) and/or Education and Children Services systems to assist them with various issues facing them.
RAJO aims to address refugee trauma, poverty, and isolation, which increases youth’s vulnerability to mental health issues, substance abuse, and related crime. It will also integrate youth into schools, meaningful recreation, and cultural activities, as well as, employment programs while promoting healthy family functioning.
The program utilizes strategies to address daily life struggles and alter the trajectory of youth exhibiting delinquent behaviour, criminal activity, and gravitation towards gangs, and other anti-social activities. Life skills clinicians and trained Somali outreach staff will provide positive cultural modeling, encourage membership in Somali and broader community activities and facilitate positive peer relationships as well as integration into society. The RAJO project activities will include; community engagement, skills-based groups, individual therapy and home-based therapy.
Mirande Alexandre, RAJO Supervisor, who leads a five-staff team, says they are in the process of reaching out and working with potential Somali youth just a couple of months after the project started. She added that they hope to reach out to schools, summer camps, women groups, seniors and parent support groups to involve youth in project activities. Mirande and her team hope to help hundreds of youth by the end of the project.
RAJO has established relationships with the Edmonton Public School Board and is in the process of connecting with the Francophone School Board and other community service organizations as well as Government institutions such as the Edmonton Police and the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate-Alberta in hopes to draw more youth to the program. Also, RAJO will draw youth and children from existing programs of SCCSE such as the Hormuud Homework Club and Youth Engagement Programs.
Jibril Ibrahim, President of the Somali Canadian Cultural Society of Edmonton shares that youths in schools and high schools are not the only targets of RAJO. They will also work with families with vulnerable youth and youth suffering trans-generational trauma, while also reaching out to prisons and other locations within Edmonton to reach youth. He added that, non-Somali youths with similar problems will also be supported through all SCCSE projects.
Unfortunately, RAJO is only a five-year project and the problem it seeks to solve is more complex than can be solved in five years. Jibril Ibrahim says, “…we do need help to sustain this pilot project”.
