About BAC

The Burmese Advocacy Center was formed in February of 2008 by an assemblage of individual volunteers who had consistently given their time to assist the growing Burmese population of Fort Wayne but were also aware of the need for a combined and united effort to better serve their community. The Burmese Advocacy Center provides free translation and interpretation assistance to Burmese residents for essential appointments and documents. In addition a variety of classes and information sessions will be held to help Burmese residents become confident and productive residents of Fort Wayne. Call for current schedule. The Burmese Advocacy Center also provides free cultural education to businesses, agencies, and other community groups.

Purpose

To Create a centralized location, which will serve to coordinate local efforts for improving the accessibility of services and to provide the education necessary for the successful acclimation of the Burmese community.

Mission

The Burmese Advocacy Center is committed to improving the quality of life for all members of the Burmese community, regardless of ethnic group or religion.

Situation

Fort Wayne has experienced a rapid influx of refugees from Burma. The total number of new arrivals is inaccurate as secondary migration numbers are not consistently counted and/or reported. The new arrivals face extraordinary barriers not previously faced by refugees from Burma. These newcomers are primarily from the minority ethnic and religious groups in Burma that have experienced severe persecution in their home country. Many have spent years, if not their entire lives, languishing refugee camps.The length of time spent in the camps has had a direct impact on the severity and/or impact of health conditions. Lack of availability and/or restrictions on educational opportunities for these refugees has left them with poor academic skills, as they never learned how to learn. Learning English for those speaking Burmese and Karen are classified as category 2 in difficulty due to the significant linguistic and/or cultural differences. This learning difficulty exacerbates not only the ability to acclimate, but also to comply with health related concerns.

Priorities

The Burmese Advocacy Center strives to coordinate local efforts addressing these concerns. Through this coordination of service providers, the center is better equipped to serve the refugees needs and the refugees will build necessary connections and supports.Visualize a spider web. The strongest part of a web is the center with tightly woven stands. The center of refugee assistance must be woven with basic supports before they can venture out into the work force and other areas of self-sufficiency.Basic supports in their web include health (medical, mental, food) and safety (accident prevention, laws). Weaving these supports is our main priority. By connecting and assisting the refugees in utilizing the resources, we will build strength.By utilizing volunteers from the Burmese community who have acclimated, as well as, Americans we can bridge cultural gaps and recent arrivals will feel more connected instead of isolation. We will provide these services without regard to ethnic, religious, or political backgrounds.