HOUSTON, TX – Tet in the Lone Star state can be a big event when you gather clients, community partners, funders, BPSOS advisory board members, representatives of elected officials, and local Vietnamese media under the same roof! That’s exactly what BPSOS-Houston did at an open house on January 30. Plates of Vietnamese delicacies were savored, and along the way, three goals were accomplished. First, people at all levels of involvement in BPSOS got to know each other better. Second, Tet, with all its traditions and cultural importance, was honored. And third, people had a chance to discuss some of the goals of the Houston office in the New Year, including fighting the trafficking of Vietnamese and extending better health and legal services to under-served Vietnamese Americans! For more information on BPSOS-Houston, please call branch manager Trish Nguyen at (281) 530-6888.

FALLS CHURCH, VA – The last two months have witnessed a significant victory for the Coalition to Abolish Modern-day Slavery in Asia (CAMSA), and more importantly, for the workers of the Hong Nam company in Malaysia.

FALLS CHURCH, VA – What’s the connection between media-savvy young people and their health and fitness? Boat People SOS, for one thing! The family services staff of BPSOS-Falls Church is getting rolling with a project called Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! (MSY). The effort focuses on helping young people ages 11 to 13 understand the connections between media and health, and is funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). At present, the MSY activities are under way at Holmes Middle School in Alexandria, VA. BPSOS staff members are building out from their ties to the middle school’s Vietnamese culture club to turn this project into a great experience for a group of young people whose makeup reflects the school’s incredible diversity.

FALLS CHURCH, VA – The Coalition to Abolish Modern-day Slavery in Asia (CAMSA)’s running battle against the abuse of Vietnamese domestics in Malaysia has taken a bittersweet turn with the repatriation of four workers to their homeland. The four young women, on whose behalf CAMSA has been working since last fall, managed to head home on January 10. Thanks, in part, to CAMSA’s efforts, they were able to depart with both their passports and all the back pay due to them.

FALLS CHURCH, VA – Nearly 100 people turned out for the BPSOS-Falls Church Asian Career Exploration Day on Saturday, November 15!

Besides being very excited for the young people who took time out to learn more about how to take control of their own future, the staff of the Family Services Department is especially grateful to the speakers, who came from all walks of life and who made the event a success.

FALLS CHURCH, VA – The Coalition to Abolish Modern-day Slavery in Asia (CAMSA), of which BPSOS is a founding member, is fighting to curb a disturbing trend in labor-management disputes in Malaysia.

The backdrop for the fight is this: In late 2007, Malaysia and Vietnam negotiated an agreement on exports of domestic workers. In early 2008, the number of Vietnamese “ô-sin” (domestics) in Malaysia began to rise. Because of their isolation in private households, these workers run an even higher risk of becoming human trafficking victims than factory guest workers, who live and labor as a group.

Houston, TX Dec 1 – The event may have been called “A Forgotten Life,” but people in Houston will be remembering it for a long time to come!

This special gathering on Friday, Oct. 24 featured a live auction, classical guitar, presentations on the global problem of human trafficking, and delicious food. Around 75 guests took part, nearly $17,000 was raised for BPSOS’ far-reaching programs to stop human trafficking, and more donations are still flowing in. BPSOS-Houston wants to thank everyone who contributed – your commitment to fighting human trafficking makes a world of difference!

BPSOS Boosts Refugee Businesspeople

By Annie Nguyen
Research assistance by Jaehee Park

Silver Spring, MD, October 1 – Have you ever wanted to be your own boss, run your own business, decide your own future? If you’re a refugee living in the greater DC metropolitan area (which includes much of Virginia and Maryland) and want to achieve those goals, Boat People SOS wants to talk with you about our Road to Independence through Savings and Education (RISE) program, through which you can secure up to $10,000 in loans to start your own business!

The RISE microenterprise program recognizes that most refugees come to the United States with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and need ways to provide for themselves and their families. Having little does not mean that they are incapable, however. Many refugees have had some previous business experience, and can transfer those skills to running small businesses here. Additionally, refugees often have the determination and ingenuity to make a small business venture successful.

Through our partnership with the US Office of Refugee Resettlement, which has a long history of serving refugee communities in the United States, BPSOS has established the RISE program on microenterprise. Our history as an organization built by refugees to serve refugees secured us grant funds in one of the most hotly-contested national competitions administered by the ORR. We are proud to have won their recognition as one of the most promising nonprofits in our field, but we are even prouder to be able to take these funds and channel them back into our community where they are needed most.

Houston, TX Nov 1 – Hurricane Ike hit Houston even harder than Katrina and Rita. As the wreckage left behind by the high winds and flooding is sorted out, and people look for whatever assistance they can find to rebuild, the BPSOS-Houston office continues to serve the community. To date, more than 1,300 families have benefited from the assistance of the Houston branch, which has redoubled its efforts to connect evacuees and hardship-stricken residents with services and aid.

Houston staff attorney An-Phong Vo has reported regularly on the work of staff and volunteers, who in the last few weeks have foregone their breaks and lunch and put in hours of overtime. What follows are her observations from the crowded office and nerve center of the Houston relief effort. Besides her gratitude to the volunteers, what stands out are her descriptions of people helped in their hour of need:

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