This report is a record of the IRC's programming responding to the Rohingya refugee and climate crisis in Bangladesh during October 2021 to September 2022.

Turlock-area volunteers helped IRC clients gain valuable economic empowerment skills May 19 during the Love Turlock day of community service. Several Afghan clients who formerly served the U.S. government in their home country received the opportunity to practice job interviews, improve their English skills, and receive cashier's training. The project was one of many taking place throughout Turlock during the day.

Modesto Junior College instructor Emma Berdino didn’t have much hope when she learned her ESL class would be forced to go online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   Many of her students, all women from Afghanistan recruited by the IRC in Turlock, were too tech-challenged to use a phone app to complete their homework prior to the viral outbreak.   “Most weren’t able to figure it out,” she said. “I thought, oh my goodness, we’re totally going to lose this class, because they’re not going to be able to do it.”  Berdino is grateful to be wrong, as nearly two-thirds of her students continue to take the course remotely after going exclusively online. 

This briefing aims to bring attention to ongoing issues of concern and provide concrete recommendations for improving the response for this highly vulnerable group of children.