I am working in an early childcare center and just received word that a young girl will be joining my class who just emigrated from Somalia. There are many ways our country differs from Somalia so I will need to prepare myself and my classroom for the arrival.
- The majority of people in Somalia are Muslim. We will need to add in celebrations for Muslim holidays and also ensure we do not focus only on Christian holidays.
- Muslims do not eat pork so we will have to ensure the cook is aware and make accommodations if any meal has pork in it. They may also be issues with the fact that the food prepared will not be halal so we will have to discuss this issue with the family prior. The type of food and seasonings we use will differ greatly so we will have to remember she may not eat that much at school. We can discuss with the families popular meals they had in Somalia to see if we could add a few into the menu at school.
- The mother will probably wear a Hijab and there is a possibility that little girl will as well so I will talk to the other children in the class to explain to them what it is and why she will wear it beforehand.
- I will have to remember to not initiate shaking hands with the father as contact between the opposite sex is considered obscene.
- We will need to check with the family to see if we are allowed to take pictures of the little girl.
- I will add their language to labels in the classroom and make flashcards with common phrases to better communicate with the parents and the child.
It was very interesting to learn about another country. Once I learned about the country, I then had to also learn about religious customs as most people from that country are a different religion than I am. Hopefully, with all this information I can ensure the family feels respected. I also want the child to get a good impression of school that will hopefully stay with her. This preparation showed me that there is a lot of information out there about Somalia and Muslim culture and beliefs, but there is no way to learn it all and it may depend on the family's preference. It will be important to discuss with the family any concerns or issues they may have and develop a good relationship so they feel comfortable coming to me in the event something comes up throughout the year.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Somalia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Somalia
Jennie,
ReplyDeleteYour preparations for this child are so well thought out that I am convinced you have been through this before! It would serve as a beginning checklist for anyone who is new to receiving foreign families. There is so much to know in this expanding world and by including the present families in the steps we plan to take to welcome these families is setting a wonderful example. Great post!
Jennie,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful analysis for the assignment this week. I read about the Hijab the mother and child may wear and how you would need to explain this to the other children in the classroom. I didn't think this week about how much clothing can be a part of one's culture and how you may need to think about considerations in your dress up area as well to help this family to feel included.
I love the idea of putting up the child's native language in the classroom. What wonderful comforting for the child to see. Great idea.
ReplyDeleteJennie, I really liked the explanation about the Hijab as well as food preparation. This was a very fun and interesting assignment. Knowing that you will not fluent speaking Somali, learning the words for hello and goodbye, toilet or potty, and eat or drink would be extremely useful in helping the child with the transition. Putting some words on the walls in Somali will definitely let the parents know you care and are concerned about them.
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