The resettlement of the Bantu people in the U.S. was the start of a different kind of a resettlement because they were the first African group to have had a large number of the same population with similar dialects to ever be granted a resettlement in the country as a persecuted minority. Due to civil conflict and political unrest in Somalia, the Bantu were among the people that sought refuge in t
he diaspora. After living in varies refugee camps for many years, the group was accepted to resettle in many American cities including Buffalo. They began to arrive to Buffalo in the summer of 2003 with the help of local resettlement agencies, however; the work of these resettlement agencies was limited to a few months, which left the refugees to continue to struggle with educational, employment, housing issues and basic living supports. In 2005, a group comprised of prominent refugees and community leaders met to discuss the needs of their struggling community and they devised solutions to fill gaps in supportive services for the community. These gatherings led to the creation of the Somali Bantu Community Organization of Buffalo (SBCO). The organization has expanded from home meetings to having their own office space located in the heart of Buffalo’s Westside. Services currently available include:
-Intensive translation and interpretation for adults and children in Chizigula, May May, Somali and Swahili
-Case management for adults and children, including social services, health care access, public school registration, immigration resources and other services
-Dispute and conflict resolution within the community
-After school program for refugee and immigrant children in grades K-12, where homework assistance, academic skills building, mentoring and social integration are provided
