Board of Directors

Ali Mohamed - President

Hassan Abdi - Vice President

Ahmed Abdulkadir - Treasurer

Baraka Osman - Secretary

Jama Liban - Director

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History
- Who are the Somali Bantu?
The term Bantu is a linguistic term for a complex family of languages all over Africa. It also refers to over 1500 languages. Bantu languages and peoples are the majority of people living south of the Sahara and cover about 2/3 of the land area in the African continent south of the Sahara. Their origin is from Bantu speaking people.
The term Somali Bantu is a present term referring to a grouping of small ethnic groups in Central Somalia. The Somali bantus are not natice Somalis. Their ancestors were taken from their native lands by Arab slave traders in the 18th and 19th centuries and sold through the Zanzibar slave market.
Why are they here?
To have peace and freedom of speech. Equal opportunities for the children. They have nowhere elso to go back. The UN tried to resettle the Somali Bantu in their home countries: Mozambique, Malawi, and Tanzania, but those countries refused to resettle all the Somali Bantu. Next, the UN asked the Unites States to resettle the Somalie Bantus and they accepted to resettle 12,000.
Where did they live before?
The Somlai Bantu were originally brought to Somalia as slaves in the 1800's from Mozambique, Tanzania and later lived in the Refugee camps in Kenya and Tanzania.
What was life like for them?
From the late 1970s until the early 1980s, the Somali government forcibly conscripted Bantu in to the military in the fight against Ethiopia that made thousands of Bantu men die. They were denied the access of Education and Government jobs. Bantu were farmers and were doing the country's labor jobs. Civil war broke out in the wake of 1991 collapse of Siyaad Barre’s regime, and clan competition of power had disastrous results for the civilian population in general and the Somali Bantu people in particular. Somali Bantu’s were excluded from the traditional Somali clan protection network. Agricultural marketing networks also began to cease normal operations. As hunger among the Somali population increased, Bandits and militias were able to attack the Bantu with impunity. In the process of stealing food stocks, the bandits also robbed raped, murdered Bantu farmers and burned down the farms and houses. As the result of the war progressed, Control of the lower Juba River valley shifted among various warlords, each wreaking havoc on the Somali Bantu farming communities. In 1992 the Somali Bantu began to flee to the Refugee Camps in Kenya. In the refugee camps, the Somali Bantus settled in the most distant locations (blocks approximately 600 people in each block). They were more vulnerable to bandit attacks than refugees living near the center of the camps. Women were rapped and men were tortured and killed. Somali Bantu were doing 95 percent of the labor jobs in the refugee camp.

COntact us
- Director - Jama Liban
- (585) 201-0919
- Secretary - Baraka Osman
- (585) 719-6885
mission
To empower children and families to achieve lifelong successes
To expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families, based on the concept of parents helping parents.
To create a nurturing, stable, and culturally diverse family environment which encourages youth with emotional and behavioral disturbances to become effective, contributing adults.
To prevent child abuse and neglect by promoting positive parenting, healthy families, and homes where children are valued and loved.
To connect people, enriching lives.
To empower Somali Bantu Community and their families to initiate personal and social change.
To prepare young leaders for responsible citizenship and provide outstanding high school students the chance to explore the risk currently facing in our community.
To preserve and develop decent, affordable housing to address the needs of limited income individuals and to strengthen the community.
To facilitate the Somali Bantu Community members to achieve whatever goals they need for the next generation.
To provide them any help they need such as Assistance transportation, Interpreting, Parenting classes and other services.
To promote them how to success and make a better life as well as there young children.
To provide them how to connect to the new life in America.

The Somali Bantu Community of Rochester, NY

150 Van auker st 11th floor

Rochester, NY 14608

(585) 201 - 0919 or (585) 719 - 6885

Board of Directors

History

Who are the Somali Bantu?

Why are they here?

Where did they live before?

What was life like for them?

COntact us

mission