This document discusses the election of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as the first female president of Liberia and the hopes this brings to Liberian refugee women. It provides context about the civil war in Liberia and the devastation it caused. It then discusses support services provided by the International Rescue Committee to Liberian refugees resettled in the US, including literacy programs. It profiles one Liberian refugee woman, Sarah, who attends a literacy class and expresses hopes that the new president will provide more education opportunities for women in rural Liberia.

1. International
Rescue Committee
San Francisco
Regional Office
By Fayia Sellu, IRC refugee from Sierra Leone
now living in Davis, CA
The inauguration on January 16, 2006 of Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia’s 23rd President and
Africa’s first female head of state, heralded a new era
not only for a country that had been in the throes of
a senseless, and one the most atrocious wars in the
history of human kind, but also for the women of
Liberia. After 14 years of conflict and the killing of
some 250,000 Liberians, Liberia saw infrastructural
socio-economic devastation blow up to anarchic
proportions. Previously Liberia was known for her
aspirations for the freedom of its people as its very
nationhood was founded on the spirit that, “The love
of Liberty Brought Us Here.” Liberians have always
fashioned their lives after the American dream. Even
as I visited in 2001 when Liberia was on its knees
and firmly under the thumb of Taylor’s dictatorship,
there was still evidence of the American way of life.
Thousands of refugees who made it out of Liberia to
a third country were resettled in the United States,
where their safety was at last secured. Many were re-
united with family already here, after years of painful
separation. These “U.S. anchors” provide a vital
bridge to the newcomers as they transition from the
known home-culture to the strange and unfamiliar
new American way of doing things. Others, with no
family or friends to help, have relied more heavily on
the larger Liberian community and the IRC for sup-
port and guidance.
The IRC provides support to the Liberian refugee
community in a number of ways, including a special
program which addresses the needs of the Liberian
refugee community that has been most disadvan-
taged by lack of education, decent health care and
prolonged exposure to the effects of war and dislo-
cation. These include adult literacy instruction,
homework clubs and after school programs for
youth, nutrition and parenting classes, and health
navigation assistance. This array of services is
designed to help the refugees meet their greatest
challenge of actually fitting into American society as
productive newcomers who contribute to their
adopted homeland.
Women Refugees Voice Hope in
Female President
Continued on page 2
In this Issue:
Director’s Message 2
IRC/SF Updates 3
Burmese Volunteer Keen
to Make a Difference 4
Donors and Volunteers 5
Upcoming Events 6
Newsletter Volume 11 • Spring 2006
965 Mission St., Suite 218
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-863-3777
Fax:415-863-9264
www.theirc.org
In recognition of International Women’s Day,
March 8th, Fayia interviewed Liberian women
living in Oakland about their hopes for the
future.

2. Welcome to the
Spring 2006 issue
of Bay Area
Beginnings. In it
you’ll find a fea-
ture article about
the historic elec-
tion of Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf as
the first female
President of Liberia. You’ll recall that
amongst a host of dignitaries, First Lady Laura
Bush was in attendance at her inauguration.
This article was researched, written and sub-
mitted by Mr. Fayia Sellu, a refugee from
Sierra Leone who arrived in the US just a
little more than a year ago.
A journalist before becoming a refugee,
Mr. Sellu saw the submission of the article as
a way of giving back. This theme is continued
throughout the issue with short but very
relevant pieces about other former refugees,
donating their time, energy, talents, and even
their automobiles to the IRC.
On March 3rd, I had a visit from a contingent
of representatives from Vietnamese social
service agencies who work with the country’s
minorities, their poor, sick and their disad-
vantaged. Of course they had relatives who
came to the US as refugees and we mused at
the thought that perhaps they were among the
6,000 Vietnamese that IRC/SF had helped
resettle in the Bay Area. They expressed their
gratitude to the IRC for its dedication and
help to the Vietnamese. They were aware that
even 30 years later, Vietnamese are still com-
ing to the US as refugees and grateful that
some 2,000 Vietnamese, stranded in the
Philippines for 16 years, had finally reached a
solution with acceptance by the United States.
By the end of our meeting we were discussing
the phenomenon that so many Vietnamese
who had come to the U.S. as refugees and had
become successful, have returned to Vietnam
as U.S. Citizens and are making substantial
contributions to the country as professionals,
entrepreneurs and agents of social change.
I recount this meeting because the story
of the Vietnamese refugees represents the
ultimate in the refugee cycle – devastation
and displacement, resettlement and re-build-
ing, and finally a return to a place of contri-
bution, not only to their adopted country but
also to the one they were forced to flee.
Thanks to all who have helped us play our
small role in this endeavor.
Don Climent
Regional Director, IRC/SF
messageDIRECTOR’S
Igor Radulovic, IRC’s employment specialist in Oakland, assists refugees in
the East Bay where about 150 Liberian refugees have been resettled just in the
past year. He says the job of placing the refugees into work is hard in an area
like Oakland where there is, for example, 11, 000 applicants for 400 jobs at
a large chain store. It takes a lot of creativity to sell clients to prospective
employers when most of them have no work experience in the U.S. or back
home, worse still is that many even lack the requisite education. Igor said
however that their "life experience" is their "work experience", especially for
Liberian women who use domestic service abilities to get caregiver jobs.
Women Still Lack Education
With or without war; refugee or not, the position of Liberian women, is not
an enviable one. President Johnson-Sirleaf may be a Harvard grad and may
have held top jobs but the majority of Liberian women are still illiterate and
on the ‘wrong’ side of gender.
In September 2005, IRC in Oakland opened the adult literacy class to help
Liberian refugee women. As I walked into one of the classes with literacy
instructor Chris Bruso, Sarah an older, rural Liberian woman caught my eye.
Sarah sounded a loud note of optimism that a woman is in the highest office
in her native Liberia, but most of her words went in the direction of provid-
ing education and empowerment for women in the rural areas. Sarah’s story
Women Refugees continued from page 1
2
About IRC
30 years later, Vietnamese are
still coming to the US as refugees
and grateful that some 2,000
Vietnamese, stranded in the
Philippines for 16 years, had
finally reached a solution with
acceptance by the United States.
San Francisco Regional Office International Rescue Committee
Our Mission
The International Rescue Committee San Francisco is a non-profit, non-
sectarian refugee resettlement agency dedicated to helping individuals
and families from around the world who have escaped war or persecu-
tion. The International Rescue Committee serves refugees and commu-
nities victimized by oppression and conflict worldwide. Founded in
1933, the International Rescue Committee is committed to freedom,
human dignity, and self-reliance. This commitment is expressed in
emergency relief, protection of human rights, post-conflict development,
resettlement assistance, and advocacy.
Our History
As one of the International Rescue Committee’s 23 domestic resettlement
offices, the IRC San Francisco Regional Office was established in 1975 to
serve the needs of Southeast Asian refugees who were airlifted to the U.S.
after the fall of Saigon. Since that time, the office has expanded its capa-
bilities to respond to each new refugee crisis as it has arisen, providing
resettlement opportunities to more than 27,000 refugees from more
than 50 countries.
The IRC San Francisco Regional Office serves the immediate Bay Area
through its locations in downtown Oakland and San Francisco. Northern
California counties are served through the IRC sub-office in Sacramento
and Central Valley residents are served by the IRC sub-office in Turlock.
These four offices constitute the IRC San Francisco Regional Office.
Continued on page 4

3. San Francisco Regional Office3
IRC SAN FRANCISCO REGIONAL OFFICE UPDATES
IRC reunites families
More than 30 men, women and children
were eagerly waiting for one plane to arrive at
Oakland airport on Feb 18, 2006. On that
Saturday afternoon 13 individuals were
reunited with their families. Due to persecu-
tion and violence in their homeland they have
spent months or even years apart. The new
Meskhetian Turkish community now in the
Bay Area is ready, with the help of IRC staff
and volunteers, to make their family and
friends feel at home.
An easy way to raise money
for IRC San Francisco
Now you can raise money for the IRC SF
Office just by searching the Internet at
GoodSearch.com. You use GoodSearch.com
like any other search engine. Go to
www.goodsearch.com (which is powered by
Yahoo!) and type International Rescue
Committee San Francisco into the “I support”
box and click on “verify.” Every time you
search the web at GoodSearch you’ll be earn-
ing money for the IRC SF office!
Becoming a U.S. Citizen
Vera, originally from Laos, realized her
dream this January as she took the pledge
and became a U.S. Citizen. IRC Sacramento
provides free assistance to individuals apply-
ing for U.S. citizenship. Thus far, more than
160 clients have been served in the
Sacramento region. The program just
received a three-month extension for the
Naturalization Service Project. For more info
contact Liz Aiken at 916-482-0120.
IRC San Francisco and
Sacramento have moved!
Two IRC offices have moved in the last few
months. Please make note of our new
addresses! IRC San Francisco’s new address
is 965 Mission St., Suite 218, San Francisco,
CA 94103.
IRC Sacramento’s new address is 2730 Arden
Way #236, Sacramento, CA 95825
Phone numbers remain the same.
Thanks to our donors
The IRC/SF’s 2005 Holiday Appeal has raised
more than $16,000 so far. As this generous
support continues, we would like to thank all
of the individual donors who believe in the
IRC’s mission to assist refugees and asylees
on the road to self-sufficiency. IRC programs
rely on the strong partnership between IRC
and the community. If you have not already
made a gift, please help us reach our target of
$25,000 and send a gift today.
Local Foundations
Support the IRC
Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the
following foundations for their support:
Walter and Elise Haas Fund–$15,000,
VanLoben Sels/Rembe Rock Foundation–
$10,000 and Y&H Soda Foundation
–$10,000–all for the IRC’s successful
Employment Program. The East Bay
Community Fund–$8,000 for general operat-
ing costs for the IRC’s East Bay programs.
Grove Foundation–$60,000 for the Grove
Career Scholarship Fund. We look forward to
a rewarding partnership in 2006. Thank you!
A Long Journey for
Vietnamese Refugees
After 15 years of waiting, nine Vietnamese
refugees’ long journey finally came to an end
when they arrived in California and were
reunited with their families. These men and
women have spent years living in the
Philippines as stateless refugees. Following
the communists’ defeat of South Vietnam in
1975, many Vietnamese fled by boat to neigh-
boring countries in South East Asia. Again in
the 1980s many men and women were able
to flee to the Philipines under a U.S. spon-
sored program but found themselves in
limbo as they were not given full residency.
The IRC welcomes these patient and brave
individuals to the U.S. as they begin their lives
with full legal status and a future with their
families.
IRC welcomes Uzbeki refugees
to California
This year, three Uzbeki refugees who were
uprooted from their home in Uzbekistan to
Romania, following an uprising in their
homeland in 2005, arrived in the Bay Area.
Already enrolled in the IRC’s employment
program, it won’t be long until they are work-
ing, self sufficient and no longer feel like
strangers.
Blessed’s ABC’s
The Liberian Homework Club’s Blessed, a
6th-grader at Frick Middle School, recited
Lucille Clifton’s “The Black ABC’s” at her
school’s February 2nd poetry contest.
Blessed says she memorized the 4-page-long
poem by “saying it in my heart,” then prac-
ticing it at the homework club and getting
feedback from the other students. Up on
stage, Blessed told us she was “nervous, real-
ly really nervous” at first, but after finishing
the poem she felt “a little bit good.” Next on
Blessed’s agenda: entering more contests!
As Interviewed by Abraham, Liberian
Homework Club Member. s
International Rescue Committee
Two refugee children play outside their
new home in the East Bay, CA.
A young couple from Sierra Leone and
Liberia visit the IRC Oakland office.
Two Meskhetian Turkish Ladies get a
chance to catch up and share stories.

4. Women Refugees continued from page 2
San Francisco Regional Office International Rescue Committee4
By Carmina Sicangco, IRC San Francisco,
Americorps*VISTA, Resource Associate
The conditions
that refugees
face in their
countries of
origin are often
harsh, strength-
ening their char-
acter and instill-
ing enduring
qualities such as
courage and a
commitment to a
better life. Nine-
teen-year-old
Maung demonstrates these qualities and
more. Originally from Burma, Maung and his
family lived in a Thai refugee camp before
being resettled by the IRC. He arrived in
Oakland in December 2000, along with his
parents and two younger brothers.
Now a high school senior, Maung volunteers
at the IRC office in Oakland and has a part-
time job. For Maung, education is a high
priority. At the age of 17, he entered an essay
writing contest held by the Human Rights
Watch and won first place for an essay on
Burma. He has also chosen Burma as the
topic for his senior project, in order to teach
his classmates about the situation in his
country. Maung’s passion for Burma goes
beyond national pride. He has a real desire to
improve the situation and raise awareness in
his new home.
Hoping to attend UC Berkeley in the future,
Maung continues to work hard at school and
is a great help for refugees beginning their
new lives in California. Maung and his fami-
ly have found success in the Bay Area, but he
has not forgotten about the Burmese people.
He is confident that one day Burma will be a
better place, probably because of those like
Maung. s
Burmese volunteer keen to make a difference
represents the other million rural women
who from sunrise to sunset labor on the
farms, take care of their children, and before
their lives were uprooted by the war, did not
know what went on in the seat of power in
Monrovia and did not care. Before she fled to
neighboring Ivory Coast Sarah said her
macheté which she used in the fields was her
only salvation. It is good to see that she can
now write her own name and read basic bus
signs.
Signs of Hope
Then there is Josephine, who spent most of
her adolescence growing up in a refugee
camp in Ivory Coast with mere strangers
who rescued her while fleeing. Now living in
California, she is gaining confidence with the
opportunity of adult education. Will their
likes back home ever get the opportunity
now offered to them because a woman is at
the helm of things? They said they hoped so.
It is hope that the Johnson Sirleaf’s presiden-
cy offers women in Liberia. Mamie, another
Liberian refugee who migrated to the U.S. in
2001, expressed hope in a new Liberia, but
also with an equal dose of caution that word
from Liberia is not good yet for any celebra-
tion. Mamie, whose memory of her home
country is stomach-turning, reflects on the
Liberia she left behind where drug-crazed
gun-toters would disembowel a pregnant
woman just to prove a bet that the fetus is
male or female; where her brother-in-law was
hacked to death with a macheté because he
refused orders by rebels to rape her. She says
word from Liberia is that electricity, good
drinking water, and jobs–among other neces-
sities–are still in scarcity.
Though Liberia may have made history for
itself electing the first female President in
Africa and boosted the morale of an overly
disadvantaged sex on the continent, it is clear
that the war to liberate Liberian–or African
women for that matter–is rather closer to the
beginning than the end. s
Word from Liberia is that
electricity, good drinking water,
and jobs–among other
necessities–are still in scarcity.
IRC volunteer Maung,
helps out at the IRC
Oakland office.
Romanian refugee
donates car to a newly
arrived refugee family
By Stephanie Simpson, IRC San Francisco,
Resource Developer
It has been more than 20 years since Veronica
Simion was in their shoes. Veronica, along with
her husband Vasile, and their 19-year-old son
Bogdan, was forced to flee Romania. Now at
her retirement dinner in California she is proud
to be donating her car onto the Lomidzes, a
Meskhetian Turkish refugee family that, like
her, is trying to make the Bay Area their new
home.
Veronica and Vasile were in their 40s when they
arrived in California. At a time when most peo-
ple in the U.S. are well established, the Simions
were trying to rebuild their entire lives. They
left all their family and friends behind. They
knew no one in California. As with so many
refugees, Veronica’s courage and resilience
helped her on her new journey to a secure and
happy life.
A trained chemical engineer in Romania, she
soon progressed from bussing tables in a
restaurant to working for the California Water
Service Company (CWSC) as a temporary
employee. Now 20 years on, upon her retire-
ment, the president of CWSC has come to speak
about her and the influence she has made on
the company as the Laboratory Supervisor.
Accompanied by IRC staff and the Lomidze fam-
ily, Veronica talks of her future retirement in a
quiet, peaceful part of Washington, where her
husband is currently building their dream
home.
Not only does Veronica’s kind donation offer a
mode of transport, it offers the Lomidzes hope
for their future. Now they have legal rights and
career opportunities for the first time in their
lives. The car will help them get to and from
work and more. For a family of five, it is sure
to be used to the max! s
Iskandar Lomidze and his brother stand
outside their work with their new car.

5. San Francisco Regional Office International Rescue Committee
Special Thanks to Our Donors and Volunteers!
We would like to extend our deepest thanks to the following individual donors , foundations, companies, and volunteers who have
generously given their financial support, time, and energy to help IRC this year
IRC Volunteers and
Interns
Cynthia Abbott
Tulasi Adeva
Fawaz Albadani
Jessica Allen
Katherine Aston
Amanmuhammet Atayev
Milli Atkinson
Pais Barton
Elaina Barulic
Krista Bauer
Michael and Christy
Bezanson
Elaine Blakeley
Monica Boduszynski
Sean Bowman
Edward Boyda
Hana Brown
Sarah Busta
Kubi Cagirtan
Christine Carter
Michelle Cavalari
Lane and Enes Ceric
Alex Chaikin
Bridget Cooney
Mara Decker
Alexandra Diaz
Drew Dunbrack
Shayne Erwin
Annette Fay
Janine Firpo
Elizabeth Fizzaland
Dona Francis
Nathalie Franco
Joanna Fregnac
Hiro Fujino
Ken Fukuda
Jeffrey George
Fawn Gibson
Bridgett Glidden
Annelies Goger
Lika Goletiani
Marisa Goul
Els de Graauw
Shayla Griffin
Michele Guernini
Lisa Gustasson
Kelly Hacker
Diane Hall
Jereau Hall
Miho Hanai
Nicole Harada
Chuck Harris
Lisa Haydon
Timothy Healy
Tiffany Hearsey
Magdalena Hejzyk
Rogier Van Helmond
George Hopkins
Jennifer Howard
Kathy Huang
Ryan Huntley
Alyson Jesse
Anya Kandel
Maurice Kiiru
Jane Kraft
Wynne Kwan
Alice Kwok
Kathy LaCross
Rosie Lamb
Ashley Lapham
Kirsten Lavery
Suzanne Leung
Tim Lieu
Jesse Little
Ion Loghin
Donna Mallard
Tiffany Martinez
Ian McAlpine
Kelly Melia-Teevan
Steve Meyer
Beth Mitchell
Robin Mitchell
John Musgrove
Wynn Nayne
Elsie Neneh
Maggie Nguyen
Lilla Nicolics
Bridget Novak
RJ Oriel
Pinar Ozger
Lorraine and Ross Parmer
Kristen Parton
Sirley Pearson
Maria Persianinova
Filip Popovic
Miriam Porter
Emilie Raguso
Daniel Ramirez
Alexis Reed
Nina Reisen
Randy Risher
Marthe Rivera
Nika Rogers
Irene Rohrs
Jennifer Rootes
Cristina Rudden
Anching Saetern
Sandy Sanchez
Aitaj Sandugi
Maki Sekigawa
Sheryl Serpentine
Laura Marie Shagalov
Sandra Sharp
Sam Singer
Sachiel Slavin
Zofia Soltys
Kristen Sortais
Josh Spohrer
Angie Starn
Jannel Stein
Nia Steinbrook
Laura Stetser
Susan Strow
Jess Strange
Micah Sutrov
Tauni Swenson
Julie Tegan
Jessica Theodore
Anna Thongthap
Susan Tien
Nina Tovpeko
Yvonne Tsang
Tony Ward
Chloe Whittlesay
Khandra Whong
Mike Woodsome
John Eric Wright
Zelmira Zivny
Erika Zambrano
Saba Zariv
Individual Donors
Louis and Judith Alley
Saif and Anjelica Ataya
Narinder Bajwa
Maria Bonneville
Carol and Richard Brand
Jela Buljko
Heather Burrow
Margueritte and
Jerome Buttrick
Lenora Carey
Nicole Carta
David & Eve Cohen & Klein
Leonilla Connors
Eva Marie Defina
Adrian and Paraschiva Dinu
Deanna and Anthony Dobson
Michael and Sarah Duncan
Netta Fedor
Betsy Feichtmeir
Laurel Flynn
Mark Ganter
Tom Gooden & Laura Foley
Mike Heckman
Matthew Holtz
Ngo Thanh Hua
Marian Huntington
-Schinske
Jennifer Gilbert-Fagen
Julie Jervey
Suzanne Joyal
Richard and Susan Kamin
Carl King
Jeff Lehmann
Donna Mallard
Wiliam and Angeli Maney
Laura Martin
Ron McBride
Clare McCamy
Amy McCarthy
Misha and Katrina Mijatovic
Jennifer Mills
Frances Montell
Wes Muchmore
Mustafa Mutlu
Karen O’Hara
Yen A.Ou
Anastasia Rolland
Vladimir Sarkisov
Lindsey and Charles Shere
Robert and Naomi Stamper
James Stein
Rick and Susan Sullivan
Diane Renee Tannerwald
Maria Tomasz
Janet Tompkins
Jennifer Vilamin
Adam Waters
Terrina Wong
Peggy and John Woodworth
John Wright
Zelmira Zivny
Foundations
East Bay Community
Foundation
The Grove Foundation
Walter and Elise Haas Fund
Tierney Family Foundation
VanLoben/Sels Rembe Rok
Foundation
Y & H Soda Foundation
Business and Corporate
Donors
Affordable Moving and
Storage
Albertsons
Arizmendi Bakery
Asian Art Museum
Beach Blanket Babylon
Cowgirl Creamery
Crest Theater
Dainty Pastry Shop
Foreign Cinema
Geary Furniture
Iluna Basque
Load-N-Lock Storage
Kelly-Moore Paints
Office Depot
Rainbow Grocery Cooperative
R’noh Thai Restaurant
Roli Roti
Safeway
San Francisco Magazine
San Francisco Museum
of Modern Art
Sterling Vineyards
Swift Printing
Trader Joe’s
Walgreens
Whole Foods
In Kind Donors
Cynthia Abbott
Maria Alvarez
Johnson Erik Anders
Roni Ben-David
Laurel Benhamida
Felipe D. Bernal
Lane and Enes Ceric
Abbey Cook
Anne Cullinane &
Paul Dimond
Jeff Ferguzon
Tom Gable
Robert Gruettner
Janie Hillver
Chris Jolly
Edward Kokol
Jerene Kornegay
Carla Lemon & Cris Brandis
Svetlana Levtsenyuk
Amy McCarthy &
John Fernald
Scott Mossman
Markus Mueller
Mizuki Nagae
Houman Pirdavari
Marilyn Pribus
Juan Carlos Rojas
Laura Stetser
Ken Styc
Tauni Swenson & Dan Berger
Julie Sze
David Thao
Nadezhda Tikhomirov
Yang Pao Vang
John Wright and
Narinder Bajwa
Roberta Wyn
Joe and Madeline Yanov
A special thank you to
our Advisory Committee
for all their hard work
and generosity!
Lenora Carey
Nell Connors
Clare McCamy
Trish Tierney
Martin Tomasz
5

6. International Rescue Committee
San Francisco Regional Office
965 Mission St., Suite 218
San Francisco CA 94103
San Francisco Regional Office International Rescue Committee6
Printed on tree-free paper
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 1530
San Francisco, CA
Volunteer Appreciation 2006
The IRC’s annual volunteer appreciation night is coming up this April.
It is sure to be a great evening with plenty of drinks, food and prizes.
Keep an eye on the IRC website for more information or contact
Erin for more details: erino@theirc.org; tel: 415-863-3777;
www.theirc.org/sf
Annual Independence Day Picnic
This year celebrate Indepen-
dence Day with newly
arrived refugees and their
families. Each year the IRC
hosts an Independence Day
Picnic in San Francisco
around the week before July
4th. Last year more than 40
people came together at
Dolores Park to celebrate
this American tradition with the Bay Area’s new residents. Keep
checking the IRC website for more information. www.theirc.org/sf
Have a dinner party and tell
your friends about the IRC
In order to reach our target goal of $25,000 for this year’s holiday
appeal, the IRC is asking volunteers and donors to host a dinner party
and invite friends to make a financial contribution to the IRC. IRC
can provide informational materials, videos and a speaker for the
evening. It is a great way to invite friends and family to support
refugees and asylees living in Northern California. For more infor-
mation please contact Erin or Stephanie, Erino@theirc.org, stepha-
nies@theirc.org/tel: 415-863-3777.
World Refugee Day is June 20, 2006
As you think about upcoming World Refugee Day, please remember
those resettled by the IRC in the Bay Area and Sacramento. We are
planning an appeal and other unique giving opportunities. Be on the
lookout as World Refugee Day approaches.
Upcoming Events