Brothers Hari Kumar Dahal and Ganga R. Dahal started Connecting Cleveland, a Bhutanese student volunteer group, dedicated to helping Bhutanese refugees adjust to the Cleveland lifestyle. The group produces a monthly newspaper, written in English and Nepali, to teach their Bhutanese families and friends about cultural events and the education and financial assistance programs available to them in Cleveland.
In the past couple of years, the Greater Cleveland area has seen an influx of Bhutanese refugees. Before arriving here, most of them lived in refugee camps in Nepal and India. When offered the chance to move to the United States and gain freedom and peace, several families took the opportunity and were directed to Cleveland.
After resettlement, refugees start their new lives with limited resources. Additional challenges include learning a new language and cultural differences. These barriers plus having families dispersed on both the east and west sides of Cleveland make the transition difficult for Bhutanese refugees to feel fully at home in the city.
Connecting Cleveland’s bilingual monthly newsletter is distributed to the Cleveland Bhutanese community via schools, grocery stores and ethnic non-profit organizations. The newsletter is also distributed to Bhutanese refugees living in other U.S. cities, such as Chicago, Boston, and Washington D.C. To learn more about Connecting Cleveland, please visit their Facebook webpage:https://www.facebook.com/connectingcleveland
