Mission Statement
CSCM opened the East African Women's Center on February 1, 2005, to fill gaps in service and support families holistically and across generations as they make the journey into American life.
The Women's Center's mission is to support refugee women in successfully integrating into American life at the same time as they preserve their cultural traditions and values. We seek to empower refugee women, especially mothers with children, to take control of their lives, educate themselves, and use their skills, confidence and knowledge to build the capacity of other women in their community.
Description
The Women's Center is located in the heart of the Riverside Plaza high-rise apartment complex in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood of South Minneapolis. The Center is approximately 2000 square feet and has a large activity space, a family childcare center, and a small kitchen. The Center is bright and cheerful and the women call the Women's Center their "home away from home."
The location of the space in the heart of our community is without a doubt perfect. It gives women and girls a physical "place of their own" where they can break their isolation, learn new skills, build connections with mainstream society, and learn to successfully bridge two worlds--and they can do it by taking an elevator to the 1st floor and walking across a plaza!
The Center offers newly arrived women and their families a comprehensive English class, which consists of four days of traditional instruction as well as a weekly "5th Day: Living in America" session. The class helps women bridge the gap between the culture of home and the realities of life in the United States. It includes: nutrition, parenting, early childhood, and field trips throughout the city.
While moms are in English class, their children attend an early childhood program which includes English and school readiness for the preschoolers, and culturally specific care for infants and toddlers.
