know your community - know your world bhutan weavers

Refugee Weavers in Akron

S. C. O. P. E. AcademySummit County Educational Service Center

Dukula KatelLiz Kuhn

Terry KuhnNovember 13, 2013

Namaste नमस्ते� (Hello)

Where are we?

Where did the Akron refugee weavers live?

What is a Refugee?

• Person with no country or citizenship

• Person with no hope to fulfill their dreams

• Person who has been treated unfairly by their government

Where did we live?

Nine of us lived in one-room bamboo huts with dirt floors.

Where did we live?

Our huts had no running water or electricity.The huts were crowded together.

We were near a forest and had lots of bugs and snakes.

How did we cook?

We cooked food with wood fire, solar panals, or coal briquettes .

Where did we get our water?

We had to wait in line for hours to fill two jugs with water.We put our jugs out early to save our place in line.

What was our school like?

• Up to grade 7 we sat on small rugs on a dirt floor.• At grade 8 and above we shared a table.• The walls let light into the school because we had no electricity.

How did we get to the United States?

Bus from camp to airport Airplanes from Nepal to Akron

We were allowed to bring one suitcase and the clothes we wore.

How did we get to the United States?Camps Kathmandu Hong Kong New York Charleston Canton

> 8,000 Miles

How many of us came here?

To the United States > 60,000 To the Akron area > 4000

How do we weave?

• Demonstration

Namaste नमस्ते� (Good Bye)