It was a simple greeting and question about the living conditions in the United States. But for Jacob Kabura, receiving a message from a former co-worker in a Tanzania refugee camp was a heartfelt experience.
Kabura, a 38-year-old father of seven, has been living in Beaverton with his family for the past nine months. While he loves Oregon, he has found the adjustment slow and communication difficult, as there are few people that speak his native Burundi language.
“Receiving this message from home was wonderful and it has lifted my spirits,” Kabura said. “It is a connection that I haven’t had for some time. It’s good to know that someone is thinking of me and has a way to find me a half a world away.”
Polly Alexander is the emergency services caseworker who personally delivered the message to Kabura. She has been with the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross for 30 years.
Alexander recalls that finding Kabura wasn’t an easy task. “All I had was a partial telephone number and a first name. But with the help of our community partners, I was able to contact a person who knew a gentleman with the ‘Kabura’ last name.” Alexander then met with Kabura to verify that the message was indeed meant for him and that he knew who it came from.
“I’m gratified that we have the help of the community to reach out to refugees. We do a lot of work to find these folks. In some countries, normal mail delivery is not available and for many of these refugees the only way they can receive letters and photos from family and friends is through the Red Cross,” she explained.
Red Cross Tracing Services and Red Cross Messages
Red Cross Tracing Services and Red Cross Messages help families and friends locate each other, send communications and learn each other’s fate. These services were mandated under the Geneva Convention of 1949, which established the Red Cross as the provider of protections for the prisoners of war, detainees and civilians impacted by war. Often these services, which are conducted between people living in the United States and their relatives living in foreign countries, may be required for several years.
Of the thousands of loved ones reconnected by the American Red Cross each year, the Oregon Trail Chapter helped with 19 of these connections in 2007. Chapter staff and volunteers handle inquiries and work directly with family members, communities and other local agencies.
Services provided by the local chapter include:
- Locating missing loved ones separated by armed conflict or disaster
- Sending Red Cross Messages between separated family members, civilians, prisoners of war and political detainees
- Obtaining information about the fate of civilians, including those separated during the Holocaust and World War II
- Providing Certificates of Detention to former detainees visited by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
- Securing ICRC travel documents for people who have been offered permanent resettlement
- Providing information and referral services
For more information about the Oregon Trail Chapter’s international services program, call 503-284-1234 or visit www.redcross-pdx.org.
The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Local Oregon Trail Chapter volunteers respond to residential fires and other disasters an average of every 40 hours. All Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from Oregonians. Financial gifts help provide shelter, food, clothing, counseling and other immediate assistance to those in need. Call (503) 284-1234 or visit www.redcross-pdx.org.
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