Lansing is not only the state capital of Michigan, but a major refugee relocation hub – a designation not many residents think about. But one student group has, and they're prepared to help.
The Global Educators Cohort Program (GECP), a group within the College of Education, is working with the Refugee Development Center (RDC) to raise money to create a college preparation program for refugees in the Lansing area.
Students involved in GECP organized the fundraiser because of their belief in equal education for all people, regardless of their backgrounds. To accomplish this goal, working with RDC is a step in the right direction.
Isabella Tirtowalujo, a College of Education doctoral student who works with the GECP Executive Board, believes it is crucial for native Lansing citizens to recognize the refugee population and offer whatever help they can.
"We must call upon our sympathetic and activist selves, and remember that these families and individuals have gone through difficult and traumatic times that necessitated their out-migration from their home countries," she said.
The RDC was created in 2002 to provide resources like English classes, job search assistance and youth groups for refugees who find themselves in Lansing.
Types of refugees over the years include “women oppressed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, Black Christians persecuted in the Sudan, and more recently, Burmese and Bhutanese targeted by their governments at home,” according to the RDC website.
"The RDC is anticipating an influx of more groups of immigrants, especially Syrians, considering the conflicts and tensions in the recent months from that region," Tirtowalujo said.
RDC claims that "between 400 and 700 refugees" come to Lansing every year, and that there are already "between 10,000 and 13,000 refugees living in mid-Michigan.”
They come to Lansing because of its designation as a "free case city," which means that refugees without family already in the US can be relocated here. Since Lansing is a mid-sized city that already contains a diverse population, it's a perfect fit for incoming refugees.
The goal for the fundraiser is $1,000. As of Wednesday afternoon, $160 has already been donated online to the "RDC College Preparation Initiative" GoFundMe page for the project.
In addition to the college prep fundraiser, RDC is always accepting donations of both money and material items like school supplies, juice boxes and bus tokens to further enhance the lives of Lansing's refugee population.
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