On January 13, Ganga Baral (Neupane) went to the Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix for receiving two Bhutanese families arriving in Phoenix from Khudunabari camp. This is a regular work of Ganga, who works as a Refugee Case Manager at Lutheran Social Service (LSS) of the Southwest in Arizona.
Much excited to help new refugees arriving in Phoenix get resettled in a new place, Ganga joined the LSS of the Southwest from September 15 last year.
Besides picking up the newcomers from the airport, she assists them for their immediate requirements which may be regular home visit, department of security interview, schooling for children and appointment with doctors for medical assistance among others.
Ganga said, “I feel more comfortable these days, although I have still a long way to go.”
“Helping fellow-countrymen in a new, completely strange and well-facilitated place is much exciting.”
She has found supportive, encouraging colleagues to work with, they are always there to extend possible help, and after all it is a team work. “I’m learning through experiences too,” said she.
Born on July 27, 1976 at Shuntale of Tsirang district in Southern Bhutan, Ganga spent her 16 years in Bhutan before she was evicted with her parents in 1992.
She was little nervous when she first landed in the United States of America under third country resettlement program
on March 26 last year with her husband Khagendra Baral, 36, and 5-year-old daughter Swechya.
Khagendra, who was married to Ganga in 2001, was an event manager in one of the private companies in Kathmandu. Now, he remains busy dealing with new refugees as Ganga. He works as an Adjustment Case Manager for the Chatolic Charities Community Service, a resettling agency in Arizona.
“I have little different works than what Ganga does,” he said.
Every morning he drives to reach the office at 1825 Northern Avenue, three miles away from his apartment. Khagendra, who never thought of buying a car while he was a refugee in Nepal, said that driving a car in America is an important as speaking English.“When refugees arrive here, then my works begin,” explained he. He basically works for adjustment cases of newcomers.
Document processing, long-term cares such as Social Security Income for refugees above 65, several medical follow ups, assistance to apply for Department of Economic Security (DES) benefits such as food stamps, medical insurance and cash assistance are his job duties. Besides, paying a home visit to give orientation to make them a self-sufficient and independent, solving problems of adjustment are his regular works at Catholic Charities.
“I am dealing with around three dozens of such cases each month,” he said. Along with the Bhutanese citizens, he helps refugees from Iraq, Burma, Iran, Afghanistan and Cuba.
For Joanne Morales, the Director of Refugee Programs at the Catholic Charities; Khagendra has become a useful tool to assist the new refugees. “He is doing a great job in assisting Bhutanese refugees along with other nationalities with their adjustment to life in the United States,” Morales told this writer.
Their daughter Swechya is pretty happy going to her school where she has just a few friends of her origin.
Both Ganga and Khagendra are happy with their jobs, much better than their fellow-countrymen are doing. Their jobs are such which only a few would get in the US, something like getting employed in civil services.
According to Khagendra, changing job is normal in the US. But, they are not thinking to switchover to other places.